Andy Burnham has opened the door to a formal pact with the Green Party should he succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, a move that could fundamentally alter the political landscape by forging a progressive alliance aimed at halting the rise of Reform UK. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is contesting the Makerfield by-election on June 18 in a bid to return to Parliament, told The Observer he would “try and work with all political parties,” adding that “enduring change tends to come when it’s more than your own tribe subscribing to it. I feel really strongly that British politics has got to get back to a search for common ground.”
If Burnham wins the Makerfield seat — triggering a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester — he intends to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. The contest would be governed by party rules requiring a challenger to secure the support of 81 MPs (20% of the Parliamentary Labour Party), before winning nominations from 5% of Constituency Labour Parties or three affiliates representing 5% of affiliated membership, followed by a vote under the alternative vote system. The process typically takes around 12 weeks.
The potential pact with the Greens carries significant strategic weight. Zack Polanski, who became leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September 2025, has explicitly stated he would be open to working with Labour under Andy Burnham to “stop Reform and to challenge the rise of the far right,” but has ruled out cooperation with Sir Keir Starmer. Polanski’s party is polling at 15% nationally, according to a May 24, 2026 survey, and has seen a surge in membership to more than 68,500. Some polls suggest the Greens are now the first choice for voters under 50.
Reform UK, meanwhile, remains the most popular party in Britain, with a May 22 Ipsos poll putting them on 27% of the vote share, up two points from April. A separate poll from May 28 indicates that 43% of the public now see Reform as the leading party on the right, compared to just 17% for the Conservatives. Labour trails at 20%, and Sir Keir Starmer’s net approval rating stands at -43, with nearly half the public believing he should resign rather than contest a future leadership election. Burnham consistently outperforms Starmer in leadership polls.
In the Makerfield by-election itself — triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons to allow Burnham to stand, the first such instance since 1965 — the contest is tight. Reform UK’s candidate, Robert Kenyon, has been described as a “local champion” and is backed by leader Nigel Farage in what the party calls a “David versus Goliath battle.” Polling shows Burnham with only a slender lead. The constituency is strongly pro-Leave and voted for Reform UK in all its wards during recent local elections.
A pact between Labour and the Greens could reshape the political arithmetic. With Reform UK surging on the right and the Greens drawing left-wing voters disillusioned with Labour’s direction under Starmer, an alliance would aim to consolidate the progressive vote. But it also risks alienating centrist voters and could complicate any future coalition negotiations. Polanski’s background — a former Liberal Democrat who joined the Greens in 2017, with a career in acting and hypnotherapy, and who now leads the party under a vision of “eco-populism” that includes policies such as abolishing private landlords and decriminalising drugs — signals that any deal would involve substantial policy concessions from Labour.
Rachel Reeves faces backlash over ‘nice pub tax’ on country inns
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under fire after new guidance issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will see pubs in “character properties”, those in more “attractive locations”, or ones that play a vital role in the community hit with higher business rates. The Conservative Party has branded the measure a “nice pub tax,” warning it threatens the survival of cherished locals. The guidance represents a significant shift in how nearly 40,000 pubs will be assessed during this year’s revaluation exercise, with industry figures cautioning that many venues simply cannot absorb the anticipated increases. Separate reports suggest inflation-linked business rates could add £12 billion to the tax burden on pubs by 2029.
MoD exposing £1.5 billion to fraud each year, watchdog warns
Parliament’s spending watchdog has demanded “radical change” at the Ministry of Defence, which a damning new report reveals is exposing an eye-watering £1.5 billion in taxpayers’ cash to fraud annually. The report claims the MoD is “achieving little” in its response to hundreds of allegations of suspected economic crime. Over the past four years, the department has recovered as little as 48p for every pound of the on-average £5.7 million a year it has spent on tackling fraud and economic crime. The Government is being urged to boost defence spending amid the deteriorating state of the public purse.
Robert Jenrick calls for Henry Nowak murder to be treated like George Floyd’s
Conservative MP Robert Jenrick has called for the murder of Henry Nowak to be treated in the same way as George Floyd’s, after the 18-year-old university student was stabbed to death with a 21cm Sikh ceremonial blade as he walked home from a night out in Southampton last December. On Thursday, Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty of murder at Southampton Crown Court. Writing in The Telegraph, Jenrick pointed to Labour’s “stony silence” surrounding the case, saying: “Not a peep from the Home Secretary. Not a word from the Prime Minister who is normally quick to respond to deaths involving the police, both in the UK and abroad. Remember the spectacle of him ‘taking the knee’ over George Floyd’s death?”
Labour pledges 300,000 new work placements to tackle youth joblessness crisis
The Government has pledged to introduce 300,000 new work experience and training placements over the next three years, from construction to hospitality and health and social care, as part of efforts to address what Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden called a “quiet crisis.” The placements, backed by some of Britain’s biggest employers including Manchester and Gatwick airports, come just a day after a report warned of the risk of a “lost generation.” Official figures confirmed that the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs) has risen to more than a million — 1.012 million in January-March 2026, the first time the figure has exceeded that threshold in 13 years. Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, who led the review, wrote that lack of work experience is “the single most-cited barrier to work amongst young people.” His report noted: “At present, the provision of work experience is an afterthought for many schools. Students are often told to find their own placements. Unsurprisingly, those without strong networks and connections are more likely to miss out.”
