Burnham allies ‘offer MPs peerages to stand aside’ so he can run for PM

Andy Burnham’s allies have been offering peerages to MPs willing to stand aside so he can return to Westminster, The i Paper has been told.

Multiple sources claim the Mayor of Manchester’s allies have been making moves to position him for any leadership challenge which may come after the local elections.

The results are likely to pile further pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who has long known that these elections could be make or break for his premiership.

Shorts – Quick stories

Bonnie Tyler in induced coma after emergency surgery

The singer has been placed into
a coma after she was rushed to hospital for urgent intestinal surgery, with well wishes
pouring in from around the
world.

What we know

Coma ‘to aid her recovery’

The 74-year-old Welsh sensation was admitted to hospital near her home in Faro, Portugal, on Wednesday. An update last night asked for privacy while she is treated.

Interview

7 min read

From the valleys to Eurovision

Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, in Neath, South Wales, shot to fame with her hit Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1983. It earned her a Grammy nomination and spent four weeks at number one.

She represented the UK at the Eurovision song contest in 2013, finishing 19th out of 26, and was awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to music.

MUSIC

3 min read

MUSIC

3 min read

CONSUMER

Key parking fine rules clarified by appeals body

As record numbers of drivers successfully appeal parking fines, the industry group granting the reprieves has issued guidance on how to avoid getting one in the first place.

Here are their top tips.

Fines last year in figures

Of appeals submitted to Parking on Private Land Appeals (Popla) last year…

50.5%

resulted in cancellation of the fine.

107,202

appeals were submitted, the first time the figure has gone over 100,000.

39,522 appeals were uncontested by the operator, while 14,578 were contested but Popla ruled in favour of the driver.

What are the rules?

It’s worth appealing if you think you have paid

Not paying in time

Fines not to be given if the driver has paid by the time they leave the car park.

Keying errors

Fines to be reduced to £20 for obvious mistakes typing in number plates.

Airport drop-offs

Fines only to be issued if driver hasn’t paid within 24 hours of leaving.

Exclusive

2 min read

Confusion is ‘clearly profitable’, says expert

It’s mind-blowing how many people just pay it without question because they think it’s a ‘fine’ – that’s part of the business model. That it explains why parking charge notices (invoices issued by parking firms) look similar to penalty charge notices.

SCOTT DIXON, CONSUMER DISPUTES EXPERT

Indonesia volcano eruption kills three as 10 hikers missing

An eruption of Mount Dukono
in the eastern island of
Halmahera has killed at least
two foreigners and a local who were walking in the area.
Several still missing are
believed to have been climbing.

Rescue efforts continue

Seven climbers have descended the volcano safely, and five were injured in the eruption, which shot an ash cloud six miles into the air, according to Indonesia’s national disaster management agency.

Those still missing are believed to be in an area which was declared to be off-limits to visitors last month, after monitoring showed an uptick in activity from Mount Dukono. Rescue efforts are taking place mostly on foot as the rough terrain prohibits vehicle access to parts of the slope.

Foreigners ignored warnings, says police chief

Erlichson Pasaribu said that foreigners had ignored signs and social media posts warning of danger in the area.
“Local residents understand and don’t want to climb,” he said. “Many [hikers] are foreign tourists who wish to create content.”

LIFESTYLE

5 min read

HEALTH

The diet that can slash high blood pressure risk by 30%

Eating beans, lentils and soy products dramatically reduces your risk of high blood pressure, a study has found.

The high levels of minerals, fibre and bioactive compounds in the plants also reduce the risk of other heart problems, especially when consumed daily.

How to be full of beans

• Eat 170g per day of legumes like beans, lentils or chickpeas.
• Pair with 60-80g daily of soy such as tofu, edamame or soy milk.
• Include regular exercise in your routine to further protect the heart.

LIFESTYLE

6 min read

What did the study find?

Eating a portion of legumes and soy each day led to a 28-30 per cent reduction in risk of high blood pressure. Those on this diet had up to 19 per cent less risk than those eating the least of these products.

Experts writing in the British Medical Journal looked at the results of 12 previous studies for this research and concluded that the high levels of potassium, magnesium and dietary fibre contributed to the lowering of risk.

Charity urges us to eat more beans

Simple swaps, like choosing beans, lentils, chickpeas or tofu in place of processed meats, can make a meaningful difference and help support healthier blood pressure as part of an overall balanced diet.

TRACY PARKER, SENIOR DIETITIAN AT BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

TRAVEL

The next airports which could suspend EES checks

Joe Duggan

Senior Reporter

Greece has suspended EES checks for UK holidaymakers until at least September after queues of three hours or more at the border.

As the summer holiday season approaches, other popular destinations for British tourists could follow suit.

Why are the queues so long?

The new European border system, launched last month, requires non-EU citizens to have a facial scan and fingerprints taken to enter the Schengen Area.

Passengers have reported having to queue for the checks several times. A body representing 600 airports says the queues are causing “major concerns” with some passengers missing flights.

TRAVEL

4 min read

TRAVEL

4 min read

Which countries could pause checks mext?

While only Greece has fully suspended checks for British tourists so far, airports in Portugal, France and Italy have all initiated temporary pauses to help ease long queues. Belgium has postponed introducing EES.

The Spanish and Dutch governments have said there are no problems with the new system despite the delays. Opposition parties in Spain are calling for checks to be lifted, with one leader saying the queues are “typical of a Third World country”.

Starmer’s plan
revealed as Labour
loses seats in local elections

Sir Keir Starmer will pivot his political message to deliver a
more left-wing pitch to voters in
a bid to fend off a leadership challenge.

Starmer’s four-point plan to fight off Labour coup

The Prime Minister is understood to have abandoned the election strategy that helped secure a landslide in 2024 to one that will aim to unite progressive voters in both working-class and urban areas. It marks a shift away from trying to court Reform voters with strong immigration rhetoric.

Analysis

3 min read

Big Read

10 min read

Focus shifts to progressive block

Insiders say the view is that whoever can unite the left or the right will win the next general election, with Starmer hoping to appeal to progressive voters by focusing on issues they care about.

• Closer relations with the EU including greater alignment with the single market.
• Increased defence spending including a long-delayed investment plan.
• Commitment to the environment and energy security through green sources.
• Focus on values and making the case for a diverse and tolerant Britain.

Local election results as they come in

Labour loses nine councils so far – as Reform gains hundreds of seats

• Of the 136 local authorities in England holding elections, 40 have so far declared their results.
• Labour suffered significant blows, losing more than 240 seats across England overnight.
• Reform has taken Newcastle-under-Lyme and Havering, London, gaining over 350 seats
• Counting began in Scotland, Wales and the remaining English councils this morning.

Labour MPs react to losses

The Defence Secretary has supported Starmer as the man who can “turn it around” for Labour, saying that he “won the mandate for five years from the public” and he thinks “he can still deliver”.

Not everyone in the party is so confident in their leader, though, with Labour MP Johnathon Brash calling for Starmer to resign and Rebecca Long-Bailey labelling it a “soul-destroying night”.

Starmer takes the blame

We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country; these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party. And that hurts, and I take responsibility…Tough days like these don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised. They strengthen my resolve.

PRIME MINISTER SIR KEIR STARMER

Politics

Election results at a glance – and key battlegrounds to come

Most councils in England have now declared results, with the first results trickling in from Scotland and Wales.

We take a look at what the results mean so far, as well as some to watch out for later today.

The results so far

Early results paint bleak picture for Labour

• Of the 136 local authorities holding elections, 75 have so far declared their results. Labour has lost 13 councils.
• Labour has admitted defeat in Wales ahead of the official result, while the SNP has claimed a hold in Scotland.
• Reform has taken control of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Essex, Suffolk and Havering in London.
• Hackney has elected the first ever Green mayor, beating Labour by almost 10,000 votes.

When will we get results in Scotland and Wales?

Counting began this morning and will likely take most of the day

Scotland: 12pm-6.30pm

The SNP leader in Westminster has won a seat in Holyrood, triggering a by-election for Aberdeen South

Wales: 2pm-5:30pm

Reform and Plaid Cymru have won two seats each in the two constituencies to declare so far, beating Labour.

Interview

7 min read

Key seats to watch

• All eyes are on the Greens as their target London councils declare.
• Five London boroughs and Watford await new mayors.
• Six county councils in southern England will declare later today.

Big Read

5 min read

In January, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) blocked Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in an attempt to protect a weakened Starmer from a leadership challenge from the so-called “King of the North”.

But that’s not stopped fevered speculation about him making a fresh bid, with multiple sources telling The i Paper that his allies are offering peerages to MPs willing to stand aside and allow him a route back to Westminster.

There is no suggestion that any MP has accepted an offer to vacate their seat, but it does demonstrate the lengths the competing factions in Westminster are going to in support of their favoured candidates.

Sources close to Burnham have insisted that he had neither offered, nor suggested such a reward to any MP offering to stand aside for him, nor is he in a position to do so.

While true that Burnham himself cannot currently hand out peerages, if he eventually became Prime Minister, he would have this power as part of the established Westminster Honours system.

Speculation has been building that Burnham will soon mount a new bid to enter Westminster and has identified a new seat. One ally confidently predicted that he would not be blocked again by the NEC and will be Prime Minister by September. This would require the writ being moved for a by-election as soon as Parliament returns on Wednesday for the King’s Speech. However, such claims have been dismissed by other MPs as “complete bollocks” and “wishful thinking.”

MPs thought to be under pressure to give up their seats include Peter Dowd, the MP for Bootle in Merseyside, Charlotte Nichols, the Warrington North MP, and Marie Rimmer, the MP for St Helens South – although all deny being approached.

Sources close to Burnham deny any of these seats were ever in contention. Another seat being closely watched is Rusholme, currently held by Afzal Khan, one of Burnham’s closest political allies and former Lord Mayor of Manchester.

‘Dire’ election results in North West ‘don’t help Burnham’

A Starmer supporting MP said Labour losses to Reform in the North West show why Burnham in his current left-leaning guise can’t be leader. “The detail of results doesn’t really help him,” they said. “He’s supposed to be so popular in Manchester, but the results from there are pretty dire, so where is this seat that he is going to fight? And the likelihood that we lose the mayoral by-election he might cause seems very, very high. The whole thing doesn’t really vindicate his stance.”

The MP said Burnham might have a poll bounce “in the immediate aftermath” if he were to become leader but that “a week into being prime minister he’d be confronted with the same set of decisions that Keir has got to make, and those are not decisions that are going to make you wildly popular in the short-term.”

But Compass, a think-tank supportive of Andy Burnham, rejected the analysis that Reform gains mean Labour should not tack left.

The think-tank, which backs the Mainstream Labour group closely associated with Burnham, said the party’s losses on Friday morning were mirrored by Green gains and that this was eating into the party’s vote, handing seats to Zack Polanski’s party.

It claimed there is a “progressive majority” in the UK for the party that can unite voters on the centre-left, highlighting comments from elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice on Friday saying: “It should be remembered that Labour may often lose seats to Reform because it is losing votes to the Greens, while the Conservatives are losing votes to Reform. The net effect can be that Labour end up losing a seat to Reform [as the party comes through the middle].”

Labour is forecast to lose up to 2,000 council seats across England, alongside difficult results in the Scottish and Welsh elections.

Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is on track to be the biggest winner, while Polanski’s Greens are also on course to make significant gains.