May 15th, 2026

Andy Burnham to make bid to return to Commons as pressure mounts on Starmer

Wes Streeting also resigned as health secretary saying he had lost confidence in Sir Keir's leadership.

Digested week: Starmer’s day of reckoning was foreseen – just not the level of drama | John Crace

Labour's poor election results triggered exactly the internal crisis that observers had long predicted for Keir Starmer, but the sheer theatrics of the fallout caught even seasoned Westminster watchers off guard. Where the Conservatives have historically dispatched unpopular leaders with cold efficiency, Labour MPs appear torn between treating the moment as high tragedy or low farce. The contrast speaks to a party still uncertain about both its direction and its appetite for the brutal calculus of power.

UK ministers accused of weakening legal protections for torture victims seeking asylum

Senior UK ministers are set to sign a Council of Europe declaration that critics say would weaken protections for torture victims by reinterpreting human rights laws to facilitate deportations. The move, backed by Yvette Cooper alongside counterparts from 45 other nations, has drawn sharp condemnation from refugee advocates who argue it erodes foundational asylum safeguards. For Keir Starmer's government, the agreement signals a hardened stance on immigration — but at the cost of a growing rift with human rights organisations.

Questions over Farage’s houses and £5m gift renew scrutiny of finances

Nigel Farage is facing mounting scrutiny over his personal finances, including a £5 million gift from a billionaire donor and questions about his property holdings. The official inquiry comes at a particularly damaging moment, arriving just days after Farage was riding high on Reform UK's local election gains. For a politician who has built his brand on anti-establishment authenticity, financial transparency questions could prove especially corrosive.

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/starmer-latest-burnham-streeting-rayner-leadership-quit-cabinet-resign-kings-speech-local-elections-12593360'>Burnham lines up potential return to Westminster to battle Starmer for leadership</a>