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In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday, Burnham gave his clearest commitment yet to electoral reform if he wins the Makerfield byelection – to be held on 18 June – and then a leadership contest to No 10.

He said he believed in “a different type of politics – a politics that is more place first rather than party first”, adding: “Where you can work with others, you do that. I do think there needs to be reform to the electoral system to enable less point-scoring, more problem-solving – that’s what I think we need. Less short term, more long term.”

Burnham did not say when he would like to see these changes introduced or whether he would commit to starting the process if he becomes prime minster this year.

Britain is experiencing one of the sharpest falls in net migration on record — yet the vast majority of the public believes the opposite, according to new research published today.
New ONS data released today showed net migration at 171,00 for the year ending December 2025 – meaning it has halved in the last year and fallen by over three-quarters since its 2023 peak of over 900,000. It is projected to decline further to below 100,000 by the end of 2026 — levels not seen since the late 1990s (excluding the pandemic period).

But the latest findings from British Future’s annual Immigration Attitudes Tracker show that this shift has gone largely unnoticed by the public:

• Just 16% of people think migration fell in the past year.

• Half the public (49%) believe it increased, despite the sharp decline.

• Most people (51%) expect migration to rise again next year: just one in six think it will fall.

Data analysed by The Fuller Project and openDemocracy reveal that British far-right political parties and influencers – including Reform UK – are taking inspiration from the United States and seeking to turn abortion into a new front in the culture wars.

At a time when Nigel Farage’s party has made sweeping gains in the local elections, our analysis of almost 80 Reform, Reform-supporting, and far-right X accounts found that between April 2024 and April 2026, mentions of abortion increased by 40% compared to the previous two years.

This is despite a new law coming into force at the end of April 2026 which prevents women in England and Wales from facing a criminal investigation for having an abortion, and despite high public support for abortion across the UK.

This month, to mark World Press Freedom Day, the Guardian has been highlighting the growing threats to journalists around the world, particularly those working in conflict zones and under authoritarian regimes.

Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on the specific dangers faced by female reporters. We can’t talk about press freedom without talking about misogyny.

The Reform leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, is under fire after making comments criticising free breakfast clubs that benefit disadvantaged schoolchildren.

As reported by the Mirror, in a post on X, Kemkaran wrote: “Sorry, call me old fashioned but I believe it’s the parents’ job to give their child the best possible start to the school day.”

The Reform figure made the comment in response to the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson posting a photo on a visit to a new free breakfast club at a primary school.

Phillipson said: “At Gillas Lane Primary, the new free breakfast club is delivering calmer classrooms, higher standards and happier children. 

“Labour is rolling out breakfast clubs across England to give every child the best possible start to the school day.”

Labour introduced free breakfast clubs, 30-minute sessions before school where children get a free breakfast, to ensure they start every day ready to learn. 

The government has focused on rolling out fully-funded breakfast clubs in primary schools where at least 40% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. 

The Department for Education (DfE) says they save working parents up to £450 a year.

A Labour source told the Mirror: “You’d think Nigel and co would back something that promotes work and responsibility, but they’d rather attack it than stand up for working families. 

“Breakfast clubs give children the best start to the school day and help parents work more to support their families. Reform are making their position crystal clear – they don’t mind if kids go hungry.”

Labour also pointed out that despite Kemkaran’s opposition to free breakfast clubs, there are already 29 of them in Kent, “with more to come”.  

On social media, people criticised the Reform council leader’s position.

One person commented: “What about those who are working in poorly paid jobs or relying on food banks? Do you really begrudge children having a good start to the day?”.

Another wrote: “We have been doing this for years with Greggs Foundation in some schools around here and it has transformed the schooling of the children with better outcomes.

“No surprise Reform the party of billionaires and millionaires opposed it. A policy which benefits workers.”

Sunderland MP and education secretary Bridget Phillipson has called on the city’s incoming Reform councillors to “admit to their constituents that they would close the recently introduced free breakfast clubs”.

A spokesperson for Reform UK has labelled the clubs a “gimmick” and an additional burden on tax-payers.

30 April 2026: Schools don’t have adequate time or resources to engage students in democratic processes, which is a concern if young people are to be given the right to vote at age 16, says Simon Lightman.

Earlier this week, in a committee room in the House of Commons, I put a question to Samantha Dixon MP during the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Schools, Learning and Assessment’s inquiry into Votes at 16.

How, I asked, are we ensuring that the education system is equipped to prepare young people for meaningful democratic participation in the context of the complexity they are inheriting?

The response from Ms Dixon, Labour MP for Chester North and a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, was thoughtful and reflects an important strand of current thinking. Responsibility, she suggested, does not sit with teachers alone, but must be distributed across the system, including curriculum reform, the Electoral Commission and the wider contribution of civil society.

There was also a clear confidence expressed in young people themselves, with the argument that today’s students often demonstrate strong critical literacy, particularly in their ability to navigate information and identify what is credible.

Tension at the heart of the idea

There is merit in this view, and it is important not to underestimate the capabilities of young people. However, the discussion that followed, alongside the evidence presented to the inquiry, points to a more complex reality.

Emerging findings presented during the session, based on oral evidence to the inquiry, suggest that much of what currently exists in schools around democratic participation is seen as tokenistic, with limited opportunities for students to meaningfully shape decisions.

While there is widespread recognition of the need to strengthen political literacy, many teachers report that they do not feel equipped to facilitate the kinds of dialogue this requires. Even where expertise exists, structural constraints such as curriculum pressure, time and accountability frameworks frequently limit what is possible in practice.

This creates a tension at the heart of the Votes at 16 debate. On the one hand, there is a strong case for extending the franchise.

Evidence from contexts such as Scotland suggests that earlier participation can support long-term engagement. At a time when democratic systems are under strain, expanding participation is a serious and necessary reform.

Yet the current system creates a disconnect between civic education and civic participation because students study democracy while being excluded from it.

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Free breakfast clubs provide a minimum of 30 minutes of free childcare and a healthy breakfast before the school day - they are said to save working parents up to £450 a year

Reform UK is under fire after a key party figure criticised Labour’s free breakfast clubs, saying it is “parents’ job” to start their kids' days right.

Linden Kemkaran, the leader of Reform’s flagship Kent Council Council, wrote on social media: “Sorry, call me old fashioned but I believe it’s the parents’ job to give their child the best possible start to the school day.”

A Labour source said: "You'd think Nigel and co would back something that promotes work and responsibility, but they'd rather attack it than stand up for working families. Breakfast clubs give children the best start to the school day and help parents work more to support their families. Reform are making their position crystal clear - they don't mind if kids go hungry."

Labour also pointed there are 29 breakfast clubs in Kent, with more to come.

Reform UK's flagship energy policy of tapping into North Sea oil reserves will not lead to noticeably cheaper prices, experts have claimed.

Nigel Farage's Reform party won in totemic Labour strongholds like Sunderland and Hartlepool, as well as Tameside, in Greater Manchester, in Angela Rayner's back yard in last week's local elections after vowing to cut immigration into the country and transforming Britain's energy policy by reversing its clean power pledges.

But as Reform has gained seats, criticism of its flagship policies has also built - including the promise to "drill, baby, drill" and get more oil out of the North Sea. Farage's policy has taken Donald Trump's energy slogan and deployed it in its bid to attract more supporters.

Millions of Brits have struggled to to cover energy bills, which have soared to averages of between £1,641 to £1,758 for duel gas and electricity costs.

While Reform have claimed extracting more oil will drive down energy prices, experts are not as convinced by the pledge. Chris Aylett, a research fellow at the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House noted that big promises might not lead to big savings for Brits.

"With an estimated 90 per cent of the oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf having already been extracted and burned, and with new licences unlikely to yield anything for decades, focusing on North Sea drilling misses the point," he told The Mirror. "The UK needs to use less oil and gas, by rolling out electric vehicles and heat pumps, and it needs to deploy more wind, solar and batteries."

When asked bluntly if drilling in the North Sea would lead to cheaper prices, Aylett's response was simple: "No, and not in the long-term either. Oil and gas are internationally traded commodities and their prices are decided by global markets.

"Private companies operating in the North Sea aren't likely to invest in new drilling if they are required to sell their product for less than they could get elsewhere. In principle, the sector could be partly or fully nationalized, although this isn't something that Reform or the Conservatives advocate.

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A journalist has published a book about the difficulties working-class writers face, after she was pushed out of the industry herself over costs.

Kate Pasola, from Prudhoe, Northumberland, said she was all too familiar with writing's "class ceiling", having believed hard work and internships would be rewarded with success.

"But, what I realised, as my own career moved forward, was that some people were falling away from their calling because they couldn't afford to do it," she said.

The Creative Mentor Network found the number of working-class people in creative roles had fallen by half since the 1970s, while the Sutton Trust found only 10% of writers are from working-class backgrounds.

Pasola, who had to leave the journalism industry for a brief period due to the cost-of-living crisis, said she first became aware of socioeconomic barriers at university.

(...)

A survey from business magazine The Bookseller found almost 80% of people from working-class backgrounds felt class had adversely affected their career, and charities like Newcastle-based New Writing North are trying to break down the barriers they face.

According to its founder, Claire Malcolm, added stresses such as the cost-of-living crisis are making things "more difficult" for people trying to break into the industry.

"I think a lot of people get put off very early on because they don't see any role models or people like them in some of the places they look," she said.

"So it's hard to be it if you can't see it."

Last year New Writing North launched The Bee, a literary publication centred around working-class experiences, which it funded through their programme A Writing Chance.

For Malcolm, getting these voices heard is important because it reflects "who we think are the right people to be making culture in our country".

"You don't see working-class or northern voices represented well in the national media and that creates a deficit," she said.

Key points:

Over the past decade Britain has had six prime ministers, eight chancellors and nine home secretaries. With the Labour Party now jostling for change, the tally could soon rise.

The constant churn is an indictment of leadership in the country. Few in parliament combine policy nous, real-world experience and the ability to sell a vision and convey hard truths. The talent pool of MPs has narrowed.

(…)

But in a democracy, politics and policies are a reflection of the public too.

First, for a nation to prosper, it must navigate trade-offs. Britons struggle with this. For example, the desire for affordable homes and electricity juts against Nimby concerns about housing projects and grid pylons. The nation’s outdated and byzantine tax code — one of the longest in the world — discourages ambition. But as reform often involves pain for vocal parts of the electorate, it doesn’t happen.

In general, expectations of government — in a time of crisis or otherwise — have risen. But the cutbacks needed to make fiscal space for policies is often resisted. For instance, although an ageing population piles pressure on the state, many balk at the prospect of a higher retirement age.

(…)

Next, Britons lack patience. Raising UK productivity requires funds and political bandwidth to be shifted to “supply-side” measures to boost labour, land, capital, energy and innovation. This would raise revenues and ease the need for high tax rates to meet spending demands, while improving economic resilience. But the benefits of investing in infrastructure, skills, education and research and development accrue beyond the political cycle, while the costs are frontloaded. Hence, they receive short shrift…

The calibre of public discourse doesn’t help. Parts of the British media approach politics through the lens of gossip rather than policy. Debate also seems to have become dumbed down, perhaps as a function of social media. (For comparison, watch any pre-2000 episode of BBC Question Time.) Producers now farm views, prioritising binaries over nuanced discussions. This has widened the gap between voters’ economic perceptions and reality on many topics, on the left and right.

In turn, it is little surprise Britain gets cakeist and myopic leaders, who are low on reform and high on easy answers.

New research explores the relationship between economic inequalities and children’s wellbeing in 44 OECD and high-income countries.

It finds that the UK’s child wellbeing ranking has improved from 27^(th) to 24^(th) out of 37 countries since the 2020 Report Card.

While skills and children’s physical health have improved, mental health has deteriorated.

The Report Card also finds that the UK has higher than average levels of income inequality, which has increased over the past decade, and life satisfaction and social skills gaps between the less and most disadvantaged children in the UK are wider than average.

It ranks the UK 25^(th) out of 42 countries on child poverty (based on a threshold of 60 per cent of the median income) rates.

The Report Card ranks countries based upon six key indicators of child wellbeing – physical health (child mortality, overweight), mental wellbeing (life satisfaction, adolescent suicide), skills (academic proficiency, social skills).

The three countries with top ranking overall – the Netherlands, Denmark and France – rank in the top third on all three dimensions of child well‑being.

UNICEF says to prevent inequalities from becoming entrenched, the UK Government must take action from children’s earliest years, including further action on child poverty and investments in early childhood services to ensure equitable access.

Driving instructors and learners across north-east England and Cumbria say too many tests are being cancelled just days, or even hours, before they are due to take place.

Katie Smith, who teaches in Northumberland and has had several clients affected, is calling on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to recruit more examiners and reduce the waiting list.

She said of her devastated learners: "These are often young people in very rural areas who can barely afford driving lessons and desperately need a licence to work, it just has a massive impact."

The DVSA said occasions when it had to cancel tests were rare and it always rebooked the learner's test for the next available appointment.

Smith's clients are mostly in rural towns like Allendale and Alston where public transport is limited.

"I've got kids who do pot washing to pay for lessons, then their tests are postponed and they have to find more money because they can't just not drive for a month or two," she said.

One of her clients, 17-year-old sheep farmer Ridley Craig from Bishop Auckland, had a test booked on 6 May. He was taking a three-hour lesson the day before in preparation for it when he was notified it had been cancelled.

"We have two family farms and I work for someone else doing his sheep work, so I have to move between different places for work," he said.

"I was pretty upset and disappointed to be honest because I was excited to get passed and get on the road.

"A couple of my friends had their tests cancelled when they actually got to the driving test centre, it's not good enough."

Animal shelters say a new law giving tenants in England the right to request a pet - that landlords cannot unreasonably refuse - could mean fewer animals need to be put up for adoption.

The measure is part of the Renters' Rights Act that also bans no‑fault evictions, (came into force on 1 May).

Pets can no longer be refused from properties without good reason, tenants can challenge a refusal and landlords cannot legally enforce a no-pets ban in their tenancy agreements.

Alison Richards, Cats Protection Chief Veterinary Officer, from Bridport in Dorset said: "We estimate around three cats per day at our sites across the UK are coming into care because of housing issues."

Animal charity Blue Cross said the number of dogs coming to its centres has increased by 120%, and the number of cats by 80%, in the past four years.

It add that a lot of these are also due to housing changes or landlords not allowing pets in the home.

The change in the law is welcomed by the charity, that has been campaigning for years.

Kirsty Smith, Admissions Coordinator at Blue Cross in Southampton in Hampshire said: "It's so important. If they actually have the security of being able to keep their pets with them, it's going to make such a difference for responsible pet owners and obviously for the pets that have to go through that upheaval."