Liz Truss has spent her time since being ousted as prime minister reinventing herself as an anti-establishment right-wing disruptor.
Rather than lick her wounds and accept a degree of responsibility for the market meltdown triggered by her ill-advised mini-Budget – as her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng had done – she has instead doubled down and blamed the “economic establishment” – in this case the Bank of England, the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
This has seen her pop up in America speaking at conferences along with the likes of Donald Trump, JD Vance and the wider Maga movement.
It is also why the UK’s shortest serving leader – she managed just 49 days – was in London this week helping to launch an American-style right-wing conference.
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Everything we know about Andy Burnham’s policies
Here is what we know so far about the positions of the incoming prime minister Andy Burnham in several key policy areas.
Caption: Andy Burnham speaks after being confirmed as the Labour Party’s new leader and the country’s next prime minister, during ‘Labour’s Special Conference’ in central London on July 17, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS
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Source: AFP
Devolution discussion
Burnham has spoken about pushing powers to local leaders outside Westminster, which could include giving town halls further control over tax-raising powers in a bid to help areas build transport links and housing, create jobs and control their own prosperity.
Caption: The site of the former Central Retail Park, in Great Ascots Street, Manchester, the location for the Manchester Digital Campus development, which is the proposed site for Andy Burnham’s “No10 North” department if he becomes prime minister. The campus is located on a disused brownfield site in the Ancoats area of Manchester city centre. Picture date: Friday July 3, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Photographer: Peter Byrne
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Source: PA
Makerfield MP Andy Burnham said: ‘I heard on doorsteps in Makerfield how people need a bit extra now to help with rising costs’ (Photo: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters)
He has pledged to create “No 10 North”, a Downing Street outpost in Manchester which will serve as the “nerve centre” to deliver priorities like reindustrialisation and redistributing power across the UK.
Some wiggle room on taxes
- On taxes, Burnham says he plans to stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
- This would mean no rises to income tax, VAT or individual national insurance contributions.
- However, he has suggested there is “some room” for movement on taxes within the manifesto.
- He plans to raise taxes on warehouses for online giants like Amazon, to help fund rate cuts for hospitality businesses.
Interview
4 min read
Pushing for reform
- 1Burnham has frequently supported electoral reform, eyeing a more proportional voting system.
- 2Social care reform is on his agenda, too – he has hinted at bringing forward a funding review to the end of 2026.
- 3On defence, Burnham said he wants to rebuild Britain’s “hard power” and vowed to reduce foreign dependency.
Welfare and work
Burnham has pledged not to scrap the state pension triple lock, meaning he faces similar welfare problems to his predecessor.
He has mentioned creating “parity” between technical training and university education, so young people can choose the career path right for them, as well as creating jobs by reindustrialising parts of the country hit hard by the loss of heavy industry.
POLITICS
2 min read
Big Read
5 min read
Housing and the environment
There are now 131,140 homeless households in England living in temporary accommodation, up 12 per cent on last year (Photo: Chris Harris/Getty)
Housing
Burnham claims No 10 North would oversee “the biggest council house-building programme” since WW2.
Public control
He has called for “greater public control” of water and energy companies.
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 2025/09/01: Thames Water workers stand next to a van at a street repair site in Central London as reports state that Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has called for a “market-based solution” for the troubled water company while ministers are preparing for all possibilities, including special administration. (Photo by Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Photographer: SOPA Images
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Copyright: ? 2025 SOPA Images
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM OCTOBER 15: The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Sign is seen in Whitehall on October 15, 2024 in Whitehall, London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)
Net zero opportunity
He has also championed the push for net zero as a chance to reindustrialise.
Foreign affairs
- Burnham’s policy agenda has, so far, been largely domestically focused.
- But he has said Britain’s support for Ukraine “will not waver” and has spoken of forging closer ties with the EU.
- Burnham has also backed further sanctions against Israeli figures involved in settler violence.
What about migration?
Caption: Andy Burnham speaks after being confirmed as the Labour Party’s new leader and the country’s next prime minister, during ‘Labour’s Special Conference’ in central London on July 17, 2026. (Photo by Henry Nicholls / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS
Provider: POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Burnham said during the Makerfield by-election that net migration into the UK needs to “fall further” than it has, and on Monday he voted in favour of asylum reforms aiming to cut small boat crossings and direct people to alternative “safe and legal routes”.
POLITICS
2 min read
Was Trump’s intervention really worth it? (Photo: Reuters)
Trump’s america
How the World Cup has exposed the great American lie
The World Cup is built on the idea that anyone can belong anywhere for a moment.
Yet, watching from America, that freedom feels distant.
‘Unmistakable contrast’
Here, movement is something you measure, calculate, sometimes avoid. Visa denials, immigration enforcement and racialised policing turn the simple act of going somewhere into a negotiation with risk.
A federal agent lobs a teargas canister towards protesters during clashes following Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis (Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP)
The Balogun saga was a stain on the tournament (Photo: Getty)
I worked for two US presidents, which taught me how national systems are meant to protect people. This World Cup makes it impossible to ignore how unsafe America has become for many communities under Trump. The contrast between global ease and domestic insecurity is unmistakable.
‘World Cup shows it can be simple’
For several weeks, I have seen a statement circulating across social media. It reads: “The World Cup is proof that, if it were not for our leaders, the vast majority of people around the world would get along just fine.” The sentiment is simplified, the reality far more complex, yet it captures something real about this moment. It reflects the sense that ordinary people, given the chance, can share space, joy, and belonging without fear.
FOOTBALL
3 min read
WORLD
4 min read
‘Safety is conditional in America’
This tournament showed how easily connection can happen when it is not mediated by borders, surveillance or political agendas.
Police across the United States have used heavy-handed tactics to deal with protests in recent months (Photo: AFP)
Curacao fans cheer for their team at a World Cup 2026 group match against the Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, USA. ‘The tournament showed that ordinary people can share space, joy, and belonging without fear,’ says Karine Jean-Pierre (Photo: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Getty)
It offered a glimpse of people moving through the world without fear, when belonging is assumed rather than negotiated. Watching from America made the contrast impossible to ignore. Here, safety is not a shared condition. It is something granted, withheld, or withdrawn depending on race, status, political climate.
Caption: U.S. President Donald Trump, right, is presented a referee red card by Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photographer: Bloomberg
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Source: Bloomberg
Copyright: 30189031A
And when it’s all over…
The World Cup will end. The flags will come down. The stadiums will empty. The question it raised will remain.
America likes to imagine itself as a place where anyone can belong. The tournament showed how far we are from that ideal.
health
How salsa classes improve your mental health
Caption: Salsa dancers perform during the “The Legends of Salsa” event as part of the 20th World Salsa Festival in Cali, Colombia, on September 25, 2025. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP) (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JOAQUIN SARMIENTO
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Salsa is one of the world’s most popular dance forms, and new research suggests that it could reduce anxiety and depression.
A closer look at the study
In the study conducted by the University of Oxford and the Oxford Health NHS Trust, 121 young adults aged 18-24 years old with mild to moderate depression and anxiety were randomly assigned to either a salsa dance programme or a control group.
Caption: ALBANY, NY – JULY 8: Salsa dancers at the opening event of Arts in the City program on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at Empire Live Underground in Albany, NY. The new, free weekly series to promote creativity and wellness through the arts will continue on July 15. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
Photographer: Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspa
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Source: Hearst Newspapers
Caption: LIMA, PERU – JULY 4: Hundreds of couples gathered for the world??s largest salsa dance class on July 4, 2026, in Lima, Peru. More than 2,000 couples joined a massive salsa class in Lima, setting the Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest salsa dance class. Organized by the Municipalidad del Callao, the event brought together dancers of all ages in a lively celebration of music, rhythm, and community. The record highlighted Peru’s strong salsa tradition and its role as a key reference for the genre, while also reflecting the cultural energy and public enthusiasm that keep salsa central to life in the country. (Photo by Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
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Source: Anadolu
Both groups in the study, which was published in the journal Psychological Medicine, completed mental health quesitonnaires before, during and after the eight-week programme.
The findings
The study found the salsa dancers showed a significantly greater reduction in depression and social anxiety symptoms, plus greater increases in daily happiness.
Further clinical trials would be needed before salsa could be reliably prescribed to treat clinical depression, but the researchers say their “noteworthy” findings show “mental health shouldn’t begin and end in a consulting room”.
LIFESTYLE
3 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
‘An adjunctive intervention’
GPs and social prescribing services could consider accessible social-dance classes as an optional wellbeing or adjunctive intervention, particularly for young people who find them appealing.
Brennan delattre, lead author of the research
Caption: WARSAW, MAZOVIA, POLAND – 2025/07/13: Dancers enjoy the free Latin dance party. Norblin Factory Foundation and Dance Studio Salsa Libre invite Varsovian visitors to a unique series of dance meetings. Led by Maja Borkowska and Lukasz Marynowski, the program includes free Salsa and Bachata lessons then an open-air Latin dance party. (Photo by Neil Milton/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Photographer: SOPA Images
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Source: LightRocket
Copyright: ? 2025 SOPA Images
‘Treating a dance deficiency’
This study does not suggest that salsa is a cure for depression, rather a useful tool to add to existing options.
Dr Keir Philip, a clinical lecturer for the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, suggested the research “is actually treating a dance deficiency that we didn’t know we have”.
Caption: a couple dance the salsa alongside Camden Lock in north London on May 28, 2020, as lockdown measures are eased during the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: TOLGA AKMEN
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Couple, talk and arguing with fight at house for disagreement, conflict and divorce discussion. Woman, explain and bored man for conversation, toxic relationship and drama and marriage fail in lounge – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The seven rules that could save your marriage
Keep your sense of self
I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.
KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS
Caption: A married couple sitting in silence, looking in opposite directions. The image captures the concept of female loneliness within a marriage, emotional disconnection, and relationship problems. Symbolizes quiet desperation and isolation at home
Photographer: Galina Zhigalova
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Seven rules to save your marriage
(Photo: Kathrin Ziegler/Getty).
The small things
Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.
Therapists
Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.
Female psychiatrist discussing with mid adult woman during therapy session – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: MTStock Studio/Getty).
Listen
Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.
Don’t lose communication
People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.
KATIE STRATFORD
‘One question is how to achieve such a longevity hack when most of us have relationships that unsettle us,’ says Dr Amir Levine (Photo: Oliver Rossi/Getty)
Seven rules to save your marriage
Remember that things change
“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.
‘I’m genuinely considering returning to full-time work’ (Photo: PeopleImages/ Getty Images)
Caption: A senior couple spend time in an indoor sunny market. The woman looks through a clothes on a rail as her husband waits patiently behind her.
Photographer: Catherine Falls Commercial
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Look at yourself first
“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.
There are things that all mid-life men should know about keeping their hearts healthy.
From eating more purple fruit to avoiding large bowls of pasta, consultant cardiologist Dr Zoe Astroulakis [below] shares her simple lifestyle habits she wishes her patients would take on board.
Positive changes to make
Swap ‘bad’ fats for healthy ones
You don’t need to eat a fat-free diet; the key is to reduce your saturated fat. Reduce your dairy and swap your red meat for lean meat such as chicken and oily fish.
Shoppers are set to face spiralling food bills as a result of the war in Iran (Photo: Bet_Noire/Getty)
Caption: man eating fried chicken
Photographer: Prapass Pulsub
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Control your portions
You don’t need more carbohydrates in a meal than you can fit in your hand. Enormous plates of pasta can cause blood sugar spikes, which can lead to health problems.
Positive changes to make
Supermarkets report increasing demand for blueberries (Photo: RHS/Guy Harrop)
Look for purple
Blueberries, black grapes and aubergines are great for boosting “good” cholesterol.
Have oats
Porridge is one of the healthiest breakfast options because it’s full of soluble fibre.
Swap supermarket-bought cereals for wholemeal oats (Photo: Arx0nt/Getty)
Ketamine has become an increasingly mainstream drug used in clubs and festivals in recent years (Photo: Getty)
Stop taking cocaine
It can provoke a massive heart attack, even in younger people who don’t have existing artery problems.
Stay below the alcohol limit
‘She doesn’t really like me drinking and says that I smell after a night out with friends’ (Photo: Getty)
- The NHS guidelines of 14 units per week is still more than 1,000 additional calories.
- The safest level to aim for is zero.
- If you’re drinking, make sure you have some alcohol-free days each week and space it out.
Interview
5 min read
Positive changes to make
Do cardio too
Don’t only focus on lifting weights. It might make you look toned, but it says nothing about the health of your heart.
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.
Photographer: Xavier Lorenzo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Home blood pressure monitors are now available to buy for around £20, and are preferred over smart watches due to their more accurate readings (Photo: Getty Images)
Check your levels
You can get free blood pressure checks in many pharmacies or you can buy a monitor for around £30 to use at home.
Avoid night shifts
It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm and can lead to increased cholesterol.
Engineers from a Thames Water leak hunting team unloads equipment from their van during a night shift in London in 2022 (Photo: Getty)
A sign to look out for
A beer belly is a sign you need to make urgent changes
Caption: glasses of Real ale beer on bar in traditional English pub
Photographer: Peter Cade
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Photodisc
It’s usually a sign you’re drinking too much. By the time your belly starts to bulge, it’s a sign that you’re consuming excess calories and storing too much fat internally.
LIFESTYLE
3 min read
Want a new career but worried it’s too late?
Mid-life is not too late to start again, says experienced recruiter Elizabeth Willetts [below].
Here, Willetts shares the best jobs to switch to during midlife if you want a change – without sacrificing pay.
Changing careers in your fifties
Mid-life career pivots can lead to higher earnings.
7.4%
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, workers aged 45 to 54 who voluntarily pivot jobs see an average wage growth of 7.4 per cent.
3.5%
And those aged 55 to 64 still see a 3.5 per
cent increase.
The AARP Global Employee Survey also found that over half of workers who changed jobs voluntarily experienced improvements in work flexibility and mental health.
So what job options are there?
Virtual assistant
As a virtual assistant your workload will be very varied and it could be anything from tidying inboxes, booking travel, sending invoices or updating spreadsheets.
More and more people are using AI for counselling (Photo: Oscar Wong/Getty/Moment RF)
Confident successful Indian female HR recruitment manager holding resume in hands while having an interview in a modern office, looking and listening to job candidate. Friendly interview between HR female director and caucasian job candidate. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
You can start out earning around £20 to £35 an hour, but it can scale into agency work, launch support or even project management. Some earn very well.
Recruitment
Male candidate handshake with the recruiter at job interview – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
What it involves
You will source, screen and interview candidates to match them with the right job roles.
Who it’s for
You don’t need any qualifications but it’s suited to communicators and commercially-minded people.
Rearview female recruitment reading and checking resume in hands interviewing and hiring woman candidate for joи near laptop in office with glass windows – stock photo. (Photo: Olga Rolenko/ Getty)
From April 2027, retirement savings will be included when the tax bill for those inheriting money is calculated (Photo: Malte Mueller/Getty)
The pay
The salary van vary from £25 to £50k, but you can earn around £100k depending on commission.
Jobs to switch to in your fifties
Some estate agents give high valuations to drum up business (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Getty/iStockphoto)
Estate agent
It offers flexible hours and weekend staff can earn £15 per hour.
Training
This form of coaching for businesses could earn around £250 to £1,000 per day.
Caption: portrait of confident senior business man holding digital tablet in modern office
Photographer: zeljkosantrac
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
(Photo: Getty).
Sales
In the lower end, a sales rep can make £30k and on the higher end £50-60k, plus commission.
Why coaching is a good option
Coaching is incredibly varied and can be anything from career coaching, to confidence and leadership coaching.
- As it is an unregulated industry, you don’t need qualifications but the more reputable option is the International Coaching Federation.
- It’s a great career option for older people because clients genuinely value your wealth of life experience.
- It’s flexible, scalable, and you can start doing it part-time alongside another role.
- It could make you anything from £200 an hour, all the way up to £500 p/h+.
Even though the NHS Pension scheme is envied by many for its generosity, those working for the NHS facing financial struggles are choosing to opt out (Photo: Getty Images)
Consulting
This can be across HR, operations, marketing, finance, people strategy or project management, as it’s varied.
A huge number of businesses now want expertise without having to hire full-time staff so there is a big job market for freelance consultants.
Price on value, not hours – if your advice saves a client £200k, charging £150 an hour undersells what you’re worth.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
No more orange juice. (Photo via pixaby)
It’s estimated ultra processed foods make up at least half of the average UK diet (Photo: Getty)
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Caption: Gail’s croissant
Image taken from https://gails.com/collections/breakfast/products/croissant
Croissants
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
It is mostly carbohydrate and without protein or fibre, it is digested quickly, leaving you feeling hungry.
Caption: Toasted bread and white background
Photographer: Daniel Tamas Mehes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Minden jog fenntartva!
Yakitori’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant – but what exactly is it? (Photo: Reuters)
Sushi
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Sarawak laksa is one of many varieties of this noodle soup (Photo: Tham Kee Chuan/Getty)
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Pizza
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Best pizza in Britain named – and owner reveals the secret to its success (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The Government has announced that the sugar tax will be extended to milkshakes (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Smoothies
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
‘Aged 14, I started what I considered to be my own little business selling confectionary,’ writes Beauty Dhlamini (Photo: Getty)
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
Which yoghurts are the best options? (Unsplash)
Caption: BANGKOK, THAILAND – OCTOBER 17: A “KT Herbalist”, a Kratom cocktail made from Kratom, coffee and siamese herbs is seen at Teens of Thailand, a bar in Bangkok’s Chinatown on October 17, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. In April 2021, the start of Thailand’s third and most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government banned the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, crippling the already suffering food and beverage industry. With a lack of government aid and support, some bars have shuttered their doors in hopes of reopening post-lockdown, while others shuttered their doors for good. But six months into Thailand’s most recent lockdown, Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, owner of Teens of Thailand, a gin bar located in a renovated shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown, decided that instead of waiting for the government to allow the sale of alcohol again, they would take advantage of Thailand’s recent legalization of Kratom. Kratom is a locally grown herbal drug with mild opioid and stimulant effects and was reclassified from a type-5 narcotic to a legal-to-grow herb in August 2021. While Thailand prepares for a tentative reopening on November 1st, the alcohol ban and curfew are set to continue, leaving business owners questioning if the country can revive its suffering tourism industry. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Photographer: Lauren DeCicca
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Alcohol
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
Senior woman on sofa feeling and suffering from back pain. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
How to age without pain
Many will worry about not saving enough for retirement (Photo: Alex Tihonov/Getty/Moment RF)
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Sleep
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: Maribel Ezcurra, 77, a retired milling machine mechanic, practices tai chi with fellow seniors in a park in the Playa neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Photographer: Ramon Espinosa
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
Caption: This is a photo of a senior man helping his wife lift weights. See PA Feature HEALTH Physio. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA feature HEALTH Physio. PA Photo.Picture credit should read: Alamy/PA.
NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature HEALTH Physio.
Photographer: Alamy
Provider: Alamy/PA
Source: PA
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Fit more walking into your day (Photo: andreswd/Getty/E+)
Sleep can affect your heart health (Photo: Flashpop/Getty/Digital Vision)
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
It can increase the decline of muscle mass and bone density, which needs to be avoided.
Calorie counting every day can be a pain (Photo: Getty)
How to age without pain
(Photo: Inga Erhan/ Gingagi/ Getty).
Protein
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
Menstrual pain, woman with stomachache suffering from pms at home, endometriosis, cystitis and other diseases of the urinary system – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.
Photographer: Xavier Lorenzo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Recovery
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
- See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
- The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Truss was forced to quit Downing Street in 2022 when her mini-Budget of £45bn unfunded tax cuts sent the financial markets spiralling, which saw interest rates, and thus mortgages, rocket.
Despite all this the former Conservative Foreign Secretary is not ruling out a return to Parliament one day- she lost her South West Norfolk seat in the 2024 general election Labour landslide after 14 years as an MP.
Inaugural Conservative Political Action Conference
Truss was this week speaking at and chairing the inaugural UK version of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) where Nigel Farage will be the keynote speaker on Friday.
Asked whether CPAC could be the start of a political comeback, Truss did not rule out a return to Parliament.
“I don’t rule out anything,” she said. “Who would? I mean, British politics is so crazy. If you think where we were 10 years ago – [the] Brexit vote – where we’ll be in 10 years’ time, who knows?”
She also did not give a straight answer to whether she could follow other former Conservative colleagues such as Robert Jenrick in defecting to Farage’s Reform UK. “You’ll note that at this conference we’ve got people from the Conservative Party speaking, such as Andrew Griffiths and Jacob Rees-Mogg, and we’ve also got people from Reform. And what I care about is the ideas. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Sources in Reform have previously indicated that Truss would not be welcome in the party, although they said the same about the former Tory home secretary Suella Braverman, who has since been admitted. The Guardian reported earlier this year that Truss and Farage had enjoyed lunch together.
The problem for Truss is that she is now widely viewed as politically toxic after her disastrous tax-cutting mini-Budget crashed the pound and UK gilts.
Some economists fear Andy Burnham, who will become the seventh prime minister in just over 10 years on Monday, could repeat the mistake after he previously railed against “being in hock to the bond market” and floated a relaxation of the government’s borrowing rules.
He was criticised for those comments, and has since tempered his rhetoric as he nears No 10 – to the point that his pick for chancellor has been an agonising one in order not to spook the markets.
Truss remains unrepentant
Despite her spectacular downfall, Truss is unrepentant, and continues to maintain that the British “deep state” destroyed her premiership.
She was of course actually ousted by her own MPs. After sacking Kwarteng and bringing some stability back to the economy with the appointment of Jeremy Hunt as chancellor, a chaotic vote on fracking amid accusations of bullying and manhandling and a disastrous press conference saw Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 committee, indicating to her that she did not have the support to go on.
When asked her advice for Burnham, Truss insisted it had not been the financial markets which had brought her down. “I don’t think it was the bond markets. It was the economic establishment, the Treasury and the Bank of England,” she said.
Most observers argue it was none of these, but Truss’s own decision to ignore the OBR and introduce £45bn of unfunded tax cuts, which sent the cost of debt soaring, the economy into freefall and – the biggest sin for a prime minister – pushed up interest rates, meaning millions saw their mortgage payments rocket.
As much as politicians may rail against the bond markets, the fact is they control the price of Britain’s debt payments, and there is a lot to repay. Increasing spending or cutting taxes without a way to pay for it increases borrowing more, and can mean the cost of servicing the debt gets even higher – with potentially disastrous economic consequences including sky-high inflation.
Advice for Burnham
Asked whether Burnham should tear up the UK’s current economic architecture, including the OBR, Truss said: “Correct. Because at the moment, and I think successive prime ministers have discovered this, they do not have the power. Parliament doesn’t have the power to make the changes.
“I think it is quite interesting that some people on Andy Burnham’s team, such as Louise Haigh, have openly said there are problems with the OBR, with the Bank of England.
“She’s right about the problems. I’m not sure I would agree with her on what the solutions are.”
Haigh, the former transport secretary who resigned in 2024 after it emerged she had pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade previously, is a close ally of Burnham’s and is expected to be appointed chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in his cabinet.
In an article for the New Statesman in February, Haigh claimed that the “narrow, particular and ideologically rooted perspective” of the OBR pushed governments towards spending cuts rather than long-term investments, although she called for the body’s reform rather than its abolition.
Many economists would question the wisdom of Truss’s prescription for Burnham. Indeed, Truss’s threats to tinker with the Bank and her decision to sideline the OBR when producing the mini-Budget were widely seen as contributing to her financial crisis. Reform has recently ruled out scrapping the OBR precisely to build confidence with the markets.
No sympathy for Starmer
Despite suffering a similar fate to Keir Starmer – who is quitting Downing Street because he would otherwise be ejected by his MPs – Truss said she did not have sympathy for the outgoing Prime Minister.
“No. He made his own bed,” she said. “Essentially the Labour Party’s analysis of what had gone wrong in Britain was the Conservative Party hadn’t spent enough money, and they got there and they discovered economic stagnation, very high taxes, very high government spending, and they’ve made the problem worse. So it’s not a surprise that he turned out to be the most unpopular Prime Minister in British history.”
While Ipsos did poll Starmer as having the worst personal satisfaction ratings for any prime minister since the company started asking the question in 1977 at -66 (compared to Truss’s -62 shortly after she resigned), some other pollsters suggest fewer people approved of or favoured Truss, with YouGov giving her a net favourability of -70 in October 2022, below Starmer’s nadir of -57.
CPAC is an annual event in the US and has developed a close connection with Trump and his Maga movement. Speakers at the US conference include Trump, Vance, Elon Musk – and Truss. While it has held conferences in other countries before, this week’s three-day visit to London is its first in Britain.
Speaking to The i Paper on the thinly-attended first day of the conference at a corporate hotel near The O2 arena on Thursday, Truss said she had helped bring CPAC to these shores because “what I felt was needed in Britain is a place where the liberty and sovereignty movements can meet”.
She said Britain needed a “wider movement” beyond any one party on the right “to actually get change”. “Britain is run at the moment by a progressive blob, so we need a counter blob,” she argued.
“What I discovered about being in the frontline of British politics is that without a broader movement that supports change in the country, you can’t achieve things and that’s why I’m working on CPAC to develop this broader movement.”
“I think Britain needs a system change,” Truss added. “It’s not just one prime minister that’s a problem here. It’s the whole system that isn’t working. And I think a lot of people actually, even on the left of politics, would agree that there is a system problem in our country.”