It took more than four hours, nine brutal sackings of Sir Keir Starmer’s allies and a conversation with Donald Trump before we got the first hint of Andy Burnham’s much-anticipated pick for Chancellor.
It was around 5pm when the Cabinet reshuffle got underway, with John Healey arriving at Downing Street in a clear sign he was on his way to the Treasury in a move that took Westminster by surprise.
It followed days of briefing that Burnham had made up his mind to appoint Shabana Mahmood to the Treasury, triggering a backlash from the Labour left who had long been expecting Burnham ally Ed Miliband.
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Caption: Portrait of a purebred red hair dog laying on the floor next to the sofa at home and looking sad
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NEWS
Why the RSPCA is advising a ‘dog lockdown’
Vets and the RSCPA have called for a temporary “dog lockdown” during this summer’s heatwaves to prevent people’s pets from falling seriously ill.
The animal charity has issued a fresh warning over the risks to overheating dogs, and says it can happen at lower temperatures than owners might think.
Organ damage after overheating
The RSPCA has urged that it is safer to skip a walk than to risk overheating.
Amy Wheeler, from CVS Vets in Bristol, told the BBC that she has seen an increase in pets at risk of organ damage after overheating.
Other risks of overheating include:
- Blisters on paws from the scorching pavement.
- Heatstroke – signs of which include excessive panting, bright red or pale gums, sickness and lethargy.
- Brain swelling, disorientation, stumbling, coma, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), causing internal bleeding can also happen in extreme heat.
The breeds most at risk
Certain flat-faced breeds, such as French bulldogs and pugs, are more susceptible to overheating, alongside those that are overweight or elderly, because they cannot pant efficiently.
Dogs can overheat quickly because they rely on panting and sweating through their paw pads to cool down. But this can be difficult when walking along the hot ground or scorching pavement.
Charity Dogs Trust urges owners to be alert to pet behaviour problems as a result of lockdown (Photo: Annegret Hilse/Reuters)
The RSPCA says people can place cool, wet towels on dogs if concerned they are suffering from heat exhaustion. (Photo credit:PA)
‘Concerning temperatures’
A dog’s temperature is meant to be sort of around the 38.5°C to 39°C mark, and some of these dogs are coming in with temperatures of 41°C. That’s really concerning, because that’s when you start seeing organ damage.
Amy Wheeler, from CVS Vets in Bristol
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How to help your furry friend
- The RSPCA recommends refreshing water bowls regularly, closing curtains, turning on fans and putting out a cold damp towel for dogs to lie on.
- The charity also advised owners against exercising pets between 8am and 8pm.
- Mental stimulation activities – such as frozen toys, snuffle mats or puzzle feeders – can be supplied instead during this time.
Analysis
2 min read
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Andy Burnham delivers his inaugural speech as UK’s new Prime Minister on on July 20, 2026 in London, England. The Member of Parliament for Makerfield becomes the UK’s 59th Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister in June. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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NEWS
Four key takeaways from Burnham’s first speech as PM
After the applause finally stopped, Andy Burnham was able to go ahead with his first speech as Prime Minister.
Addressing reporters outside of No 10 this afternoon, Burnham said politicians “need to be better” after a revolving door of PMs over the past decade and pledged his Government to be a much-needed “circuit breaker”.
‘No 10 in the North’
Burnham is gunning for a new political model, one with a decentralised extension of the PM’s office dubbed “No 10 in the North”.
He said: “In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised and they still haven’t recovered. And that’s why we will change politics.”
King Charles III welcomes Andy Burnham at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister (Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
OPINION
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Cost of living plans to be announced
Burnham also said he will announce proposals to tackle the cost of living crisis tomorrow, before unveiling a 10-year plan later this year.
There were more than 500 mortgage deals on the market at the start of the month for those with just a 5 per cent deposit (Photo: Rosemary Calvert/Getty)
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: **embargoed until after Andy Burnham’s Speech in Downing Street. Leader of the Labour Party Andy Burnham chops mushrooms as he helps prepare breakfast during a visit to The Passage Homeless Charity in Victoria on July 20, 2026 in London, England. Later today the Member of Parliament for Makerfield will become the UK’s 59th Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister in June. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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“I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support,” he said.
Ending rough sleeping
Burnham’s first instruction will be to end rough sleeping. He referenced the Covid-era “Everyone In” scheme that brought thousands of rough sleepers across England off the streets.
The pledge follows his mayoral efforts in Manchester where he pledged to donate at least 15 per cent of his salary to his “A Bed Every Night” programme.
More than 3,000 households were sleeping rough last spring (Photo: Victoria Jones/PA)
Caption: Financial struggles beset more than 7 million Britons according to the financial watchdog.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty
Building more council homes
Burnham also promised to build more council homes and bolster mental health support. “We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support, and we will build more council homes,” he said.
“That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down to meet our fiscal rules and honour our commitments on defence.”
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news
What swing-state voters think about Trump
Donald Trump’s base of supporters was not happy about another war in the Middle East. And nor is Maga happy about higher gas prices (Picture: Kent Nishimura/AFP)
How would you rate Donald Trump’s performance as President out of 10? Last month, I heard how voters in a focus group responded to that question. I doubt you will be shocked by the division, nor the strength of feeling against him.
But given the sheer number of headlines outlining Trump’s falling popularity, you might be surprised by the enduring love still felt for him.
The Trump divide
Pedicab driver Andrew, a white man in his fifties, was clear that the “shameful, unqualified, disastrous” President deserved no more than a zero.
Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 20: Signs protesting the Iran war and its impact on gas prices are seen during a protest organized by VoteVets outside of the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Democratic lawmakers joined the group to speak out against the Iran war and the need for Congress to pass a war powers resolution to limit President Trump. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 05: People pose with a cardboard standee of Democratic Presidental nominee Kamala Harris as they attend a “Democrats Abroad” election party on November 05, 2024 in London, England. American voters have gone to the polls today to determine the 47th president of the United States. Polling over recent weeks has indicated a tight race between Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, to succeed President Joe Biden in the White House. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
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But Stephanie, a retired lifelong Republican, scored him a perfect 10. Kim, a veteran, and Kathy, a military mechanic, gave him 10/10, too. Another woman, a Black 44-year-old office worker, held up an eight.
Swing voter eyes Democrats
Sabrina was more held-back, describing herself as a swing voter who was considering backing the Democrat option in the state race.
She wasn’t sure about Trump’s war in Iran (“why can’t we just focus on ourselves,” she asked) but still judged this to be a successful presidency so far.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas. The climax of the three-day conference comes on 18 July, the day after Labour MPs are slated to engage in Andy Burnham’s coronation (Photo: Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty)
OPINION
4 min read
Inside the minds of US voters
The consequences of this ruling may be felt by Trump indirectly (Photo: Evan Vucci/Reuters)
Swing voter Stephanie
“People just don’t like the way he says things. But somebody had to. They don’t like it. But I don’t care about that. I care about the results.”
Military mechanic Kim
Kim said that what “thrills” her is that Trump is “running this country like it’s a company”.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 17: The White House is seen from the Washington Monument on May 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump has initiated numerous construction projects on federal government properties in Washington, including demolition of the White House East Wing to build a ballroom and re-painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool blue. (Photo by Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)
Donald Trump is already preparing for a confrontation with Andy Burnham over UK policies (Photo: David Cliff/Getty)
Andrew from the South
Andrew, a Southern gay man, said Trump was “out of touch”, and the US is “not a corporation but a nation”.
The key to the elections
The focus group, set up for Channel 4 News by pollster Public First, was a little more generous to him than a national poll that Public First also carried out for us.
- The poll still showed love, with 12 per cent of people saying they’d score the President 10 out of 10.
- But 33 per cent opted for zero – and those are people who will be just as motivated to come down against him.
- And so the key to the elections will be those in between, whose views are more moderate, and whose minds are less focused on the politics of Washington DC.
- These voters, according to the focus group, are primarily concerned with the cost of living and maintaining comfortable lifestyles without picking up second jobs.
So what does all of this mean for the midterms in November?
These elections could not be more critical, not least given how unleashed Trump has been during this second presidency, whether on immigration, tariffs or the Iran war.
Many observers believe this ideological purity has only been possible in Trump 2.0 because this time around, the President has almost total control over the Republican Party, which in turn holds power in Congress.
Analysis
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Analysis
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news
All the areas affected by South East Water hosepipe ban
The prolonged hot, dry conditions have had a significant impact on reservoir levels across the UK (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty)
South East Water has imposed a hosepipe ban on its customers after a sustained period of hot weather, high demand and lower than average rainfall.
The temporary ban begins at midnight on Saturday, but customers are being urged to abide by it “immediately”.
Hosepipe ban hits 2.4 million
South East Water had already imposed a hosepipe ban in Kent, but has now extended it to other counties – affecting a total of 2.4 million people.
The ban was extended to protect the Thames river, which had low levels of water following successive heatwaves. Another reason for the ban is because underground aquifers are under “severe stress”.
“The area has only received 64 per cent of average rainfall since March, and we’ve also faced three heatwaves,” the provider explained.
Here are all the areas impacted:
- Kent
- Sussex
- Surrey
- Hampshire
- Berkshire
‘We have not taken decision lightly’
Sussex and Kent have had restrictions in four of the last five years, while Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire have not had one in place for 14 years.
The company said it had “not taken this decision lightly”, but that water was being drawn from its storage tanks faster than it could be treated and refilled.
Low water levels at Baitings Reservoir as a heatwave in August 2022 brought widespread drought conditions (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
LIFESTYLE
2 min read
What you cannot do during a hosepipe ban
- Water a garden or plants using a hosepipe.
- Clean any type of vehicle, as well as houses, walls, windows, paths, patios and ‘artifical outdoor surfaces’ with a hosepipe.
- Fill or maintain a swimming pool, paddling pool, pond or ornamental fountain with a hosepipe.
- Draw water, using a hosepipe, for recreational use such as hot tubs.
Analysis
2 min read
news
What we know about Holly Willoughby’s new YouTube channel
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 27: Holly Willoughby attends the “Better Man” European Premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on November 27, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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TV presenter Holly Willoughby has teased a new YouTube channel to host an upcoming lifestyle series.
The former This Morning presenter, 45, hinted at the “exciting new project” in a post to social media last week, which also revealed its pink and red branding.
‘Inspiring’ guests and cooking segments
- Willoughby’s lifestyle series is set to cover topics such as practical advice, fashion, beauty and health.
- The TV personality will chat to celebrity guests like Stanley Tucci, Emma Bunton and Katherine Ryan.
- Other “inspiring” guests will include a tech safety campaigner, chefs, a florist and a make-up artist.
- The channel will also feature This Morning-style cooking segments, a focus on fashion, and will provide practical health guidance.
TENNIS
2 min read
First project since 2023
Caption: Holly Willoughby
‘This Morning’ TV show, London, UK – 21 Sep 2022
- Two episodes will be released per week, after its premier on 28 July.
- It will be available on YouTube and across social media.
- It marks Willoughby’s first project since stepping down from This Morning in 2023 after 14 years.
TELEVISION
2 min read
Inside ITV’s This Morning scandal
Willoughby’s departure followed co-host Phillip Schofield’s sudden decision to leave ITV after admitting to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male colleague on the show.
After taking a break from the show, Willoughby returned to This Morning in June 2023, issuing a live on-air statement expressing that she felt “let down”. She added that the team had given love and support to someone who had been untruthful.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 09: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (centre) is shown an ITV birthday cake as she meets This Morning host Philip Schofield (second left) and co-presenter Holly Willoughby, during a visit to the ITV studios to mark the broadcaster’s 60th anniversary on September 9, 2015 in London England. . Camilla toured the newly refurbished ITV riverside studios at Waterloo, meeting presenters and staff from This Morning, Good Morning Britain and Loose Women to mark the anniversary. An ITV birthday cake took her fancy, and she warned the host of presenters: “What I would really like to do is stick my finger in it, but I shall resist.” (Photo by Emma Clark – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Virgin Media subscribers could be saying goodbye to even more prime programming this weekend (Photo: Shutterstock)
Why one-bed flat owners are struggling to sell their homes
Dan Bermingham-Shaw has had his studio flat up for sale for 90 days now and has had no viewings. The 32-year-old living in South London bought his flat in 2022 for £225,000 and put it up for sale in April this year for £230,000.
Land Registry figures suggest average property prices have grown about 7 per cent over the past four years, but Dan found that even his 2 per cent increase was proving too much for prospective buyers.
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
‘Zero viewings and zero offers’
Dan had to drop his price by £6,000 last month – to £224,000 – but still has had no luck and is now considering pausing the listing and relisting at a later date. His case is not isolated.
Dan Bermingham-Shaw says his plans to upsize have to be put on hold until he can sell his flat
Caption: ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – MAY 30: City view from the rooftops as visitors walk from roof to roof, exploring 12 interconnected rooftops via stairs and bridges and enjoying views of the city in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on May 30, 2026. The Rotterdam Rooftop Days Foundation has organized the 11th edition of the ??Rotterdam Rooftop Days???? event. The flat rooftops of 42 buildings in the city center were opened to the public. (Photo by Abdullah Asiran/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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He said: “I’ve had zero viewings and zero offers, and despite the advert apparently having thousands of hits on Rightmove and Zoopla, not a single person has ‘saved’ or ‘liked’ the property to indicate they’re considering it.”
Demand far lower than supply
Matt Dawson, director of Westwood Property Services, based in Sidcup, south-east London, told The i Paper that demand for these properties was far lower than supply, and he had had some potential buyers view close to 20 homes that match their criteria.
As a result of increased stock in the market, Dawson said prices have taken a fair hit.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
3 min read
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
2 min read
First-time buyers struggling
Caption: Numerous windows and balconies of a purpose built block of flats in nice dappled evening light in London
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Sizing up
According to Zoopla, 72 per cent of one-bedroom flats for sale this year remain unsold nationally.
Stagnant market
Some 44 per cent of UK homes listed in the past three years failed to sell, citing overambitious pricing, Zoopla found.
Mortgage rate falls are good news for buyers (Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty)
Woman saving money inserting coin in piggy bank – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Affordability crisis
Zoopla’s Richard Donnell said affordability concerns among first-time buyers mean many were unable to offer what sellers wanted.
NEWS
The European countries where pensioners are the wealthiest
Rising life expectancy mean people can spend significantly longer in retirement (Photo: Johner/Getty)
The European Central Bank (ECB) has revealed the countries where pensioners are the wealthiest, in its annual report on household finances from across 22 EU member states.
Highest net wealth
The latest figures show that pensioners aged 65 to 74 in Luxembourg have the highest average net wealth, with a staggering €1.19m.
- In second place is Ireland, where pensioners are worth an average of €415,700.
- In third is Malta with the average net wealth of €408,300.
- Followed by Belgium at €274,500.
- Then France at €270,800 on average.
- Spain at €221,900.
- Cyprus at €212,900.
- Germany at €211,600.
- Portugal at €202,100.
- Austria at €197,400.
- Italy at €193,500.
- Netherlands at €192,000.
Where does the UK sit?
Although the UK was not included in the EU roundup, its pensioners may be among the wealthiest in Europe, figures suggest.
The 2025 data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows 65-74-year-olds in the UK held an average household wealth of £502,500 – or €590,686. That tops the ECB’s figures for Ireland (second place) by nearly €175,000.
Caption: Portrait of elderly woman solving sudoku puzzles at home, sitting in living room. Sudoku as popular game for aging people, logical thinking, problem solving.
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POLITICS
4 min read
28-times less than counterparts
In final place with the least amount of household wealth among pensioners was Latvia, with just €42,100 in the bank on average.
That means Latvian pensioners have roughly 28 times less than their counterparts in Luxemborg.
ARTS
2 min read
OPINION
3 min read
Are you having as much sex as everyone else?
It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.
And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.
The statistics
When it happens
61%
A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.
Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.
Three
Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three.
Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?
I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.
Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.
Millennials
35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.
Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.
Gen X
Daisy, 56
I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.
Anna, 52
I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.
Mimi, 46
I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.
Boomers
I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.
JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT
Instead, Miliband and Mahmood arrived at Downing Street after Healey, walking to No 10’s famous black door together in a show of unity.
‘Are they fighting it out?’
Miliband was made Foreign Secretary, beating his elder brother to the role, if rumours that David Miliband was set for a shock return to politics are to be believed, while Mahmood got her wish to stay as Home Secretary, with Healey taking up the all-important and much-coveted Chancellor job.
It triggered a round of furious speculation, echoed by Green Party leader Zack Polanski who said Healey’s appointment was “clearly a political compromise” after Miliband was rejected by “bankers” and Mahmood by the Labour Party.
However, The i Paper has been told that Burnham had genuinely not made up his mind on the Cabinet last week and that none of the senior ministers in question were offered jobs, or even given a nod or a wink by his team before their appointments today.
Mahmood was understood to be delighted to be staying on at the Home Office, with a source close to her saying she “has been clear throughout this process [of] her desire to remain Home Secretary”, adding that she “will now finish the job to make our immigration system fair for all”.
Some, however, wondered if there had been a tussle over the Great Offices of State – after the Prime Minister, these are home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor – given it took more than an hour after Healey arrived in Downing Street to be made Chancellor, with Mahmood, Miliband and Burnham’s close ally Louise Haigh, now First Secretary of State, all going into No 10 in the meantime.
One Government source said: “This feels and looks properly messy. Are they fighting it out in there?”
‘Briefings cover up indecisiveness’ official claimed
But a source close to Miliband denied any suggestion that there had been a bust-up, despite the ex-energy secretary having long believed to have coveted the role of chancellor. “Not at all. That’s complete mischief. On Ed, the PM offered him FCDO [Foreign Office] and he was honoured to accept.”
A Labour insider suggested Burnham would have wanted to make clear to his top four ministers his expectations, given he had just promised outside Downing Street the biggest change to British politics in 40 years. “Unlike other leaders, he’s fresh in,” they said. “Likely, he’ll be talking them through what he wants to deliver.”
Elsewhere, some wondered if Burnham’s allies had been briefing about the chancellor role in advance to cover up the fact that he could not make his choice.
“The briefing covers up the indecisiveness,” a second Labour Party official said.
In a surprise move, the former defence secretary John Healey was appointed Chancellor, replacing Rachel Reeves (Photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty)
The official also wondered if Healey’s appointment was a “debt repaid” by Burnham after the ex-defence secretary resigned over defence spending and helped trigger Sir Keir Starmer’s downfall. “Of all the U-turns and events and resignations, Healey’s resignation delivered the fatal blow. Funny isn’t it?”
One Labour MP with experience in financial services said Healey’s appointment was clearly “a huge nod to [a] likely defence spending boost in the coming months”.
A source close to Healey also hinted at this, saying: “He was the man that led Labour defence recovery in opposition and was respected in opposition and now he will rebuild from the Treasury.
“John gets on with the job – results, results and results.”
Another MP said it would “calm the PLP [parliamentary Labour Party]”, elements of which had begun a pitched battle over Mahmood vs Miliband for the Treasury job.
Suggestions that the markets could react adversely to a surprise appointment and the implication of higher defence spending were also dismissed by the MP: “[I] can’t see how John won’t be seen as a safe pair of hands in the mould of Alistair Darling.”
A Burnham supporter, however, raised fears of unrest over Healey’s appointment, suggesting there may yet be a left-wing backlash. “The membership, having been teased with the idea of Ed for years, will be delighted I’m sure.”
Burnham may have created enemies
Meanwhile, Starmer loyalists warned Burnham might have created enemies after he wielded the axe against the ex-PM’s allies in a series of phone calls on Monday afternoon.
Former chancellor Rachel Reeves was the highest profile to go, amid claims she turned down the role of defence secretary.
One Starmer loyalist MP said Burnham’s so-called night of the long eyelashes amounted to “riding roughshod over the unity required within the PLP”.
However, one minister, who has been largely loyal to Starmer, warned that those who have been sacked must stay loyal or Labour risks losing the next election.
“Everyone knows this is our last chance so we need to pull together,” the minister said. “Seriously, if we mess about again as a party we won’t recover. We need to get on with it now.
“I can see all those sacked secretaries of state back at some point. They are very talented.”
The Cabinet appointments were understood to be further delayed by the need for the new Prime Minister to make a series of international calls.