More than 7.6 million people in the United Kingdom – around 12 percent of the total population – are waiting to receive routine hospital treatment from the country’s socialized healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS), representing the highest figure since records began in 2007 and increasing by another 100,000 since May.
Just under 400,000 people have been on the NHS waiting list for more than a year, around 7,000 people have been waiting for treatment for over 18 months, and more than 20,000 have waited longer than two months (62 days) for urgent cancer screenings, according to data released by NHS England.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunk made cutting the NHS backlog a core priority of his government at the beginning of the year, announcing “lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly,” but this has so far failed to materialize. The NHS has even considered an AI rollout to help shorten the backlog.
The waiting list looks set to grow as thousands of the NHS’ junior doctors and nurses will continue to strike. Junior doctors working for the British Medical Association (BMA) will begin another set to strike on Friday, August 11, until August 15.
The “latest figures paint a grim picture… For the sake of patients, it is imperative that all parties get around the table to resolve this issue,” stated Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at health think tank The King’s Fund.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Venezuelan Navy has begun escorting oil tankers following U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s blockade order on Tuesday.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, President Trump, and Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA)—a state-owned oil and natural gas company.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, from Venezuela’s east coast.
💬KEY QUOTE: According to PDVSA, vessels carrying its petroleum byproducts are departing Venezuela “with full security, technical support and operational guarantees in legitimate exercise of their right to free navigation.”
🎯IMPACT: The move by the Maduro regime marks a significant escalation in the simmering conflict between Venezuela and the United States, with the risk of armed confrontation between the naval forces rising significantly.
IN FULL
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has ordered his regime’s small navy to begin escorting vessels carrying oil and petroleum byproducts as they depart the country’s ports. The escorts began late Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning, coming in response to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s December 16, 2025 announcement of a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers attempting to either enter or depart Venezuelan waters.
According to ship-tracking data, the vessels were transporting urea, petroleum coke, and other oil-based products from the Port of José, destined for Asian markets. It is believed the ships are operating on behalf of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA)—a state-owned oil and gas company. In a statement, PDVSA said its vessels continue to depart Venezuela “with full security, technical support and operational guarantees in legitimate exercise of their right to free navigation.”
The presence of Venezuelan Navy vessels alongside oil tankers significantly raises the risk of a direct conflict with the U.S. Navy forces operating throughout the Caribbean. Notably, Venezuela possesses only a small number of combat-capable ships, including just one submarine, one frigate, over two dozen patrol boats, and several landing craft and auxiliary vessels. Many of the ships are several decades old, and international sanctions on the Maduro regime have prevented the import of equipment and parts necessary for regular maintenance.
U.S. officials have indicated that the Trump administration is currently considering potential responses to Maduro’s actions. Whether the PDVSA vessels or other escorted ships are subject to U.S. sanctions remains unclear.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte has credited alliance members pledging to spend five percent of their GDP on defense as a majorforeign policy success for U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Mark Rutte, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The NATO summit in The Hague in June and ongoing discussions into 2023.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Thanks to Donald Trump, NATO is stronger than it ever was.” – Mark Rutte
🎯IMPACT: NATO’s increased defense spending aims to counter long-term threats such as Russia and terrorism.
IN FULL
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte has described NATO member states’ commitment to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035 as President Donald J. Trump’s “biggest foreign policy success.” During a BBC interview, Rutte attributed the alliance being “stronger than it ever was” to the America First leader.
The spending commitments build on longstanding pressure from Trump, who had repeatedly faulted European partners for not meeting prior spending targets and suggested reducing U.S. commitments. The pledge emerges against a backdrop of escalating strains with Russia, although Russian President Vladimir Putin has brushed off warnings about a wider war in Europe as “hysteria.”
Although Putin has expressed openness to negotiations in the ongoing war in Ukraine, he has cautioned that Russia is prepared to pursue its objectives militarily if it does not receive the concessions it feels entitled to. Under Trump’s leadership, U.S. officials have put forward a settlement framework that includes de facto concessions of land in eastern Ukraine to secure a compromise peace.
European partners are considering the establishment of a “multinational force” aimed at supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine’s armed forces and protecting its frontiers after a peace settlement. Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, argues that “Russia will see that, with the security guarantees in place, [Putin] should never ever try again to attack Ukraine because our reaction will be devastating.”
However, Western Europe’s arms manufacturing trails Russia’s significantly, despite its larger population and combined economy.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New DNA evidence reveals that the “Beachy Head Woman,” previously pushed by academics and media as the “first Black Briton,” was likely a local white woman from Eastbourne.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Researchers at the Natural History Museum in London, England, conducted the genetic study.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The skeleton was found in Eastbourne Town Hall in 2012; the study was completed recently.
💬KEY QUOTE: “By using state-of-the-art DNA techniques we were able to resolve the origins of this individual.” – Dr. William Marsh
🎯IMPACT: The findings challenge previous, politically driven narratives about “diversity” in ancient Britain.
IN FULL
New DNA analysis has revealed that the “Beachy Head Woman,” previously presented as the earliest known black Briton, was actually a white woman local to the Eastbourne area. Her skeleton, found in 2012 at Eastbourne Town Hall, had initially been linked to sub-Saharan Africa due to her cranial features, with academia and the media rushing to push this as evidence that Britain has always been ethnically diverse.
Advances in DNA technology have now enabled scientists at London’s Natural History Museum to perform a comprehensive genetic examination. The results indicate that her ancestry actually matches that of people living in Roman-era Britain far more closely than anyone from Africa.
“By using state-of-the-art DNA techniques we were able to resolve the origins of this individual,” said Dr. William Marsh, who co-led the museum’s genetic study.
The earlier assumption of African heritage had inspired facial reconstructions and stories about her life that are now under review. A plaque installed in 2016 asserting her African roots has been taken down in light of the updated evidence.
Previously, academics and media members attempted to push a narrative that the prehistoric Cheddar Man was black-skinned, only for researchers to quietly admit that testing could not prove his skin color, partly because the DNA had degraded over 10,000 years in Cheddar Gorge. Nevertheless, Cheddar Man was featured as a “black Briton” by the BBC in children’s programming intended to prove ethnic minorities have “been [in Britain]” from the start, alongside other historical figures such as Roman Emperor Septimus Severus—who was also not black, and not even from Britain.
Image via Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mexican fuel-theft cartel “Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima” (CSRL), along with its imprisoned leader, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The CSRL cartel, its leader Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz (“El Marro”), and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Sanctions were announced on Tuesday, targeting operations in Mexico and the U.S., including regions near the U.S.-Mexico border.
🎯IMPACT: The sanctions freeze U.S.-based assets of CSRL and Yepez Ortiz, bar Americans from doing business with them, and aim to disrupt a black market worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
IN FULL
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the Mexican fuel-theft organization Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) and its leader, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, known as “El Marro,” as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to dismantle cartel operations and cut off their access to the U.S. financial system.
According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CSRL has built a lucrative criminal enterprise by stealing fuel and crude oil from Mexico’s state-owned energy company, Pemex. The cartel allegedly bribes Pemex insiders, taps pipelines, hijacks tanker trucks, and intimidates employees to facilitate the theft. The stolen fuel and crude oil are then sold throughout Mexico, the United States, and Central America, with crude oil frequently smuggled into the U.S. while falsely labeled as “waste oil.” U.S. officials say the proceeds are funneled back to cartel networks, fueling corruption, violence, and organized crime.
Yepez Ortiz is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence in Mexico, but U.S. authorities allege he continues to direct CSRL’s operations from behind bars, communicating through lawyers and relatives. CSRL’s activities have been linked to escalating violence in Guanajuato, now considered one of Mexico’s deadliest states due to cartel infighting and criminal activity.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to “eliminate” cartels by severing their financial lifelines. Under the measures, any U.S.-based assets tied to CSRL or Yepez Ortiz are frozen, Americans are barred from conducting business with them, and violations can result in civil or criminal penalties.
The CSRL sanctions come amid a broader escalation in U.S. policy toward cartels. The Trump administration has designated certain major cartel organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and is targeting drug trafficking boats. Recent anti-cartel strikes and enforcement actions have reportedly disrupted trafficking routes and pressured criminal groups operating in Mexico and beyond, signaling a more aggressive approach to confronting what U.S. officials describe as “narco-terrorist” networks.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on hepatitis B vaccines, advising women who test negative for the virus to consult health care providers about vaccinating their newborns within 24 hours of birth.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The recommendation was accepted on Tuesday, following a vote earlier this month by the advisory committee, and applies nationwide.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.” – Jim O’Neill
🎯IMPACT: The decision has sparked criticism from some lawmakers on Capitol Hill with deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
IN FULL
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidance on hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. Women who test negative for the virus are now advised to consult with health care providers before deciding whether to administer the first dose of the vaccine to their babies within 24 hours of birth.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices proposed the change earlier this month, and Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill formally approved it on Tuesday. O’Neill explained the decision, stating, “We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.”
Notably, the new guidance still maintains that infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose infection statuses are unknown should receive the vaccine within the first 24 hours of life. For other infants, the CDC now advises delaying the first dose until at least two months of age. Pediatricians are expected to continue recommending the vaccine for newborns, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has assured that insurance coverage for the shots will remain unchanged.
However, the change is drawing some pushback—especially from lawmakers with deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry. “Ending the recommendation for newborns makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again,” Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) complained in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the announcement of the updated guidance. “This makes America sicker,” he claimed.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced he will not seek re-election in 2026.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump in 2021.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress,” Newhouse wrote in a statement.
🎯IMPACT: Newhouse’s announcement marks the departure from Congress of one of the few Republicans who supported impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
IN FULL
Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to Congress in 2026. Newhouse is one of the few Republican House members who voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump in 2021.
“I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor of my life, and this decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress,” Newhouse, 70, wrote in a statement. He added: “After over 25 years of public service, including more than a decade in the House, I am grateful to the Washingtonians who put their faith in me, as well as the colleagues I have served with on both sides of the aisle.”
During his tenure, Newhouse developed a reputation as a so-called “moderate” who often aligned with Democrats on key issues. He is a key co-sponsor of Rep. Maria Salazar’s (R-FL) Dignity Act, which includes multiple paths to amnesty for illegal immigrants. The bill offers legal status to various immigrant populations, including individuals who have illegally voted in federal elections.
The Republican lawmaker has served in Congress representing Washington’s 4th District since 2015. Importantly, Newhouse’s decision not to run for re-election is unlikely to have a significant impact on the House Republicans’ efforts to retain their majority in the lower chamber. Washington’s 4th Congressional District overwhelmingly backed President Trump during the 2024 presidential race, by 59 percent to former Vice President Kamala Harris‘s 38 percent.
With Newhouse’s retirement, Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) is the only remaining House Republican to have voted for Trump’s impeachment.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is expected to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug on Thursday.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, federal health and law enforcement agencies, and lawmakers from both parties.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The reclassification is believed to be planned for Thursday, though the timing could shift.
💬KEY QUOTE: “A lot of people want to see it—the reclassification—because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify,” Trump said.
🎯IMPACT: The reclassification would ease federal restrictions and allow more research on marijuana’s medical uses, but it would not result in full legalization.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump is reportedly set to move marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III classification on Thursday, per reports. This change would loosen federal controls and open doors for expanded medical research on the substance, without leading to outright federal legalization.
On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump remarked that he would “focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana [as] a Schedule III drug.” The proposal has garnered support across party lines from legislators who highlight possible therapeutic advantages.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes Schedule I substances, including heroin, as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” In contrast, Schedule III drugs—like Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and testosterone—are viewed as carrying “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
Specialists point out that the existing Schedule I status has restricted cannabis studies. Dr. Kevin Hill of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center observed that shifting schedules creates potential for broader research efforts, stressing that states and cannabis-related businesses should invest more in those studies. J
However, Professor Jonathan Caulkins at Carnegie Mellon University has voiced doubt over the likelihood of major new medical discoveries, saying, “It is hard to imagine that there are many wonderful medical benefits of cannabis waiting to be unlocked by this change because U.S. federal scheduling status, of course, has no impact on the ability to do such medical research in any other country. If there were such benefits, they could have been discovered by any of the other countries with a modern pharmaceutical research base.”
Although CNN reports the shift is slated for Thursday, journalist Kit Maher has quoted a senior White House official noting that “timing could always shift.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge declined to temporarily halt the construction of President Donald J. Trump’s White House ballroom following a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, the Trump administration, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was announced on Tuesday; construction plans involve the former White House East Wing in Washington, D.C.
🎯IMPACT: The Trump administration must submit construction plans to federal review panels by the end of December, while the preservation group continues its legal challenge.
IN FULL
A federal judge has declined a request to temporarily halt construction of a White House ballroom initiated by President Donald J. Trump. The lawsuit, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sought an emergency restraining order to stop the project.
The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon—a George W. Bush appointee—found that the National Trust for Historic Preservation failed to demonstrate that “great and certain” harm would occur if construction proceeded. He noted that the anticipated below-ground work is not set to begin until January, with above-ground work scheduled for April. However, Judge Leon cautioned that President Trump should be prepared to reverse any below-ground construction if it results in alterations to the existing above-ground structure.
While construction on the ballroom is cleared to continue for now, Judge Leon indicated that he intends to hear arguments early next year on whether to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction halting the project. Additionally, he stressed that the Trump administration is to abide by its commitment to submit construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission before the end of the year.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed its lawsuit on Friday, arguing that the administration bypassed legal requirements for consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. The group contends these consultations are typically required before making significant changes to federal property.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the Maduro regime, and the U.S. military.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made via Truth Social late Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: Maduro has responded to the move, threatening to bring the matter to the United Nations (UN) and seek international support against the blockade.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump has ordered the U.S. military to engage in a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned vessels, including oil tankers attempting to either enter or leave Venezuelan waters. Further, Trump announced that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro‘s regime has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), opening new avenues for the U.S. to ramp up pressure on the Marxist strongman to abdicate.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump wrote late Tuesday in a post on Truth Social. “The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” President Trump added.
The announcement received a swift response from Maduro, who, in an official statement, accused President Trump of attempting to impose an “irrational naval blockade on Venezuela in order to steal the wealth that belongs to our homeland.” Maduro further said his government plans to bring the matter to the United Nations (UN) and seek international support against the blockade.
Last week, U.S. military forces seized a sanctioned, stateless oil tanker departing Venezuela and en route to Cuba. According to U.S. officials, the vessel was laden with Venezuelan and Iranian oil—both under sanction. If the tanker had reached Cuba, its oil would have been further refined and then sold in Asian markets, with China being the likely buyer.
Maduro referred to the seizure as “like Pirates of the Caribbean” and urged a “grand protest of international oil workers” against the United States. “The oil working class must proceed to defend the right to free trade of Venezuela’s main export product, oil,” Maduro stated.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have dropped to an all-time low, with only 18 per cent of the public holding a favourable view of him.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prime Minister Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and other Labour Party officials.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The United Kingdom, as per the latest YouGov polling.
🎯IMPACT: Britain’s ruling Labour Party is facing internal dissent, with calls for leadership changes and speculation over a potential coup against Starmer.
IN FULL
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting political pressure as new polling shows his public approval has crashed to record lows, amid growing dissatisfaction with the Labour Party’s handling of the economy, immigration, and national leadership. A YouGov survey found that only 18 per cent of the public holds a favourable view of Starmer, while 72 per cent view him unfavourably, giving the prime minister a net approval rating of minus 54. The figures mark a sharp decline in support for a party that won office on what was already a historically low share of the vote in mid-2024.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose role is roughly equivalent to U.S. Treasury Secretary, is faring even worse than Starmer. Her approval rating has dropped to just 12 percent, with 71 percent of voters holding a negative opinion, leaving her with a net score of minus 59. Reeves has faced criticism over claims she was dishonest about a supposed “black hole” in the public finances, which was used to justify punishing tax hikes.
Polling also shows that Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is now significantly ahead of Labour, leading by roughly 28 percent to 18 percent. The far-left Green Party and the formerly governing Conservatives (Tories) are tied at around 17 per cent, with the latter continuing to struggle following their historic collapse at last year’s general election after presiding over record-breaking immigration, legal and illegal, across 14 years in office.
Starmer’s personal standing appears to be dragging down Labour more broadly. Recent constituency (electoral district)-level data suggests that a majority of constituencies prefer Farage over Starmer as Prime Minister. Other surveys indicate that the public now trusts Farage more than Starmer to lead the country. Starmer’s difficulties have also extended beyond domestic politics, with reports earlier this week that U.S. President Donald Trump halted implementation of a British trade deal, citing frustration with Labour’s leadership.
As Labour’s position weakens, speculation is growing about a possible leadership challenge. Manchester‘s Mayor Andy Burnham has emerged as a leading potential contender. Reports indicate that Burnham is seeking a parliamentary seat to position himself to challenge Starmer—with British prime ministers and government ministers generally being Members of Parliament (MPs), due to the relative lack of separation of powers in the British constitutional system. One unnamed Labour MP was quoted as saying: “It’s happening. We are on the brink of securing a seat which is likely to come free shortly and where the polls say Andy would beat Reform.”
Burnham previously served in Cabinet roles under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and has since rebranded himself as a more left-populist figure during his tenure as Mayor of Manchester.
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