Lord Hermer hits back at Andy Burnham and insists 'no one has ever got rich betting against Keir Starmer' as he backs PM to survive leadership challenge
Lord Hermer has issued a warning to Andy Burnham as he suggested the Prime Minister can survive a leadership battle.
The Attorney General suggested Sir Keir Starmer had been "underestimated" by critics during his legal and political career.
Appearing on the BBC's Question Time, the Greater Manchester Mayor said a "fundamental change" is needed in Westminster to restore the public’s trust in politicians.
Now, Lord Hermer, a key ally of the Prime Minister, said: "Keir has consistently been underestimated, I imagine throughout his life he has been underestimated, and he has always proven his critics wrong.
"When he was DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions], taking on some of the most dangerous organised criminal gangs, or politicians or indeed the media.
"When he came in as Labour leader, people said 'you're never gonna turn this party around so it's electable within three election cycles', but yet we had the victory in 2024, so no-one has ever got rich betting against Keir Starmer.
"Keir is leader, prime minister, with a mandate from the general election and an absolute determination to better this country."
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…
Andy Burnham eyes tax hikes on the South after refusing to back Labour pledges
Andy Burnham has declined to endorse Labour's 2024 manifesto commitments on taxation while campaigning in the Makerfield by-election.
The Manchester mayor, who is widely viewed as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer, avoided questions about whether he supported the party's pledges not to increase income tax, corporation tax or national insurance.
A spokesman for Mr Burnham told Bloomberg: "Andy is fully focused on working hard for every vote in Makerfield so he can represent them in Parliament.
"Andy is not standing on a national manifesto at this election; he is standing to make a difference for the people of Makerfield and to bring the change he has delivered in Greater Manchester to the national stage."
Keir Starmer confirms Defence Investment Plan will be published before Nato summit
Keir Starmer has confirmed the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan will be published before the upcoming Nato summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
The Prime Minister said: "The Defence Investment Plan is another step up, another increase in spending. It is the right thing to do
"We've been working on that closely with our armed forces. That will now be published just before the Nato summit in just a few weeks time."
Sir Keir Starmer addressing defence contractor in Wiltshire
Sir Keir Starmer is speaking at a defence contractor in Wiltshire, as he addressed comments by the Chief of the Defence Staff who said it is currently "most dangerous period" in decades for the UK.
The Prime Minister said: "My first duty, my duty above everything else is to keep our country safe. That is the duty of every Prime Minister.
"It is no exaggeration to say we are living in more dangerous and volatile times than any other in my lifetime."
David Lammy rejects 'two tier' policing accusations
David Lammy has rejected an intervention from the Trump administration over Henry Nowak’s murder that criticised "two-tiered policing" in the UK.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary said he did not recognise the "caricature" of the policing system portrayed.
It comes after the US State Department posted on X late on Thursday: "Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West.
"The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time."
Mr Lammy thanked the US for its message of condolence and said UK law enforcement works very closely with American counterparts, but rejected the intervention on policing.
The Justice Secretary told the BBC: "I don’t recognise this caricature of a two-tier policing system in our country. I just don’t see it in the interactions I have with policing, and so I do reject that."
Britain is currently at the most 'dangerous period in decades', warns Chief of Defence staff
The Chief of the Defence Staff has said now is the "most dangerous period" in decades for the UK and the country needs to prepare for potential "longer conflicts".
The Defence Secretary said on Monday that a long-awaited defence investment plan could be published before the Nato summit in early July.
John Healey told MPs that the Prime Minister was hoping to launch the delayed policy details before the Nato event in Ankara, Turkey, which begins on July 7.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said Russia was "probing, challenging, testing our defences" including through "cyber attacks or trying to smuggle technology and reckless sabotage and assassination attempts".
Liberal Democrats demand Keir Starmer summon US Ambassador over Henry Nowak comments
The Lib Dems have urged Sir Keir Starmer to summon the US ambassador over the State Department’s intervention on Henry Nowak’s murder.
Calum Miller, the party’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, said: "The three main parliamentary party leaders were right to call for calm, respect and unity yesterday.
"The Trump administration should not be using the tragic murder of Henry Nowak as a political football.
"This is flagrant foreign interference that seeks to fan the flames of division and the Prime Minister should summon the US ambassador immediately."
Reform UK mayor storms out of meeting with Labour minister over Henry Nowak 'hypocrisy'
Reform UK's Andrea Jenkyns stormed out of a meeting with a senior Labour minister following a row over "hypocrisy" surrounding the murder of Henry Nowak.
The Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire walked out of a meeting with Communities Secretary Steve Reed and other regional figures over the role social media has played in inflaming so-called "community tensions" in the wake of Mr Nowak's death.
The meeting on Thursday is believed to have been called to focus on which powers could be devolved to regional leaders from Westminster.
Scottish Tory MP calls for 'complete equality in policing'
A Scottish Conservative MP has said the party wants to see "complete equality in policing" following the murder of Henry Nowak.
Harriet Cross, the Tory MP for Gordon and Buchan, told GB News: "Kemi Badenoch has been really clear and unambiguous about this.
"We want to see complete equality across policing. We don't want people policed in different groups.
"We want people policed as individuals for the crime that they have committed or for the crime that is being committed upon them, making sure that the victims are treated completely fairly and believed, most importantly, believe because that was what was missing in this case."
David Lammy says Keir Starmer would fight Andy Burnham in Labour leadership contest
David Lammy has said that if there is a Labour leadership contest, Sir Keir Starmer would fight in it, after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected Makerfield MP.
The Deputy Prime Minister told LBC: "There is no contest at the moment, and my view is it would be a huge distraction at this time. The Prime Minister, by the way, has been absolutely clear: if there is a contest, he’ll be in it."
Asked if he would serve in a potential Andy Burnham premiership, he said: "I’m not, I’m not even going to get into that kind of speculation.
“What I do know is that if there were to be a change of leader, of course, you serve at the will of the person who is leading the party. That’s always the case, certainly if you’re in their Cabinet.
"I’ve supported every leader of the Labour Party. They’ve had my full loyalty. Keir Starmer has got my loyalty, full loyalty, until the day he no longer wishes to serve."
Kemi Badenoch slams 'utter madness' of SNP and Labour on North Sea drilling
Research on oil and gas in the North Sea "demonstrates the utter madness" of the SNP and Labour’s opposition to drilling, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Conservative leader’s comments came as a study by the University of Aberdeen revealed there are reserves of oil and gas in the area west of Shetland of 4.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
Ms Badenoch said the survey demonstrates the "utter madness" of the stance taken by Sir Keir Starmer and John Swinney to oppose drilling in the North Sea.
She said: "It defies belief that Labour and the SNP won’t drill our own oil and gas in the North Sea when independent reports have found there are billions of barrels lying untapped.
"The University of Aberdeen survey just demonstrates the utter madness of the stance taken by Keir Starmer and John Swinney.
"Domestic oil and gas are vital to the nation’s energy security, as well as being the economic lifeblood of the North East. Yet the industry is on its knees due to the windfall tax and the ban on new developments. The Conservatives would scrap both immediately."
David Lammy says Elon Musk needs to 'step back' from posting about Henry Nowak
David Lammy has said Elon Musk should “step back” from tweeting about the case of Henry Nowak and “get on with” his IPO.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer accused the billionaire X owner of seeking to whip up division.
The Deputy Prime Minister told Sky News: "I think there’s an IPO this week in the States on Starlink. Elon Musk should get on with that. I mean, tweeting over 100 times about this tragic, horrific case.
"Anyone who’s seen the video, it’s so harrowing and appalling. I’ve got two teenage sons. My heart goes out to the Nowak family. Let us not exploit their situation. They have asked for calm, they have asked of course for us to look closely at the issues around knife crime.
"Let us respect them. Elon Musk really, I think, he should stay out of this complex but painful situation for that family."
He later added: "I urge Elon Musk to stay out of tweeting about this sensitive case."
But he said he was not minded to stop using X as a platform.
"I don’t spend time on X surfing Elon Musk tweets, so I haven’t read them, but I’m not sure any of them reached the standard that require that. But I think it is appropriate for politicians to urge Elon Musk to step back."
Keir Starmer 'will not walk away' from Andy Burnham leadership challenge
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer "will not walk away" after Andy Burnham said he will challenge him for the Labour leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election.
Downing Street said the process for challenging the Labour leader "has not been triggered", and that the country expects ministers to “focus on governing”.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, widely viewed as Sir Keir’s main rival, has previously promised a vote for him in Makerfield would be a vote to “change Labour” but had not explicitly said he would launch a bid until pressed on the BBC’s Question Time by-election special.
Appearing on the programme, Mr Burnham said a "fundamental change" is needed in Westminster to restore the public’s trust in politicians.
Hitting back at Mr Burnham, a Downing Street spokesman said: "With Keir Starmer’s leadership, this Labour Government is supporting people with the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists, restoring control of our borders and lifting half a million children out of poverty.
"The country expects us to focus on governing and to deliver change for hard-working people, not get distracted by Westminster debates.
"The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and it has not been triggered. The Prime Minister will not walk away from the mandate he was given just two years ago to build a stronger, fairer Britain."
Rejoining European Union will NOT be issue at next election, Keir Starmer's Brexit chief pledges
The next general election will not be fought over whether Britain should rejoin the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer's chief Brexit negotiator has pledged.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, said he was firmly fixed on developing what he called a "post-Brexit landscape" with the EU.
This did not involve breaching any of Labour's three red lines on Brexit in the party's 2024 election manifesto: no return to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement.
Brexit has been thrust back into the spotlight after Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham suggested they wanted to take the UK back into the bloc if either replaces Sir Keir as Prime Minister.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF CHOPPER'S POLITICAL PODCAST HERE.
Home Office told control of asylum system 'all but lost' after 'losing' illegal migrants in Britain
The Home Office has admitted it is "unable to prove it can manage asylum accommodation effectively", as a damning new report found control was "all but lost".
Parliament's spending watchdog has delivered a scathing "end-to-end snapshot" of Shabana Mahmood's asylum system, warning mistakes made by civil servants are doomed to be repeated.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "At the time of our inquiry, control of it had been all but lost. The focus on short-term, reactive 'fixes' has left the Government chasing after pressures pushed from one part of the system to the next."
He slammed the lack of a "clear strategy uniting efforts", adding communication between departments and local authorities is "patchy at best".
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
