Norfolk Eagle

I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election. I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics. Ten years ago, I decided to leave Westminster. Why? Because, after 16 years, I came to the conclusion that our national political system does not work for areas like ours. I learnt this fighting its failure to invest in the Wigan borough, for justice for the Hillsborough families and against its treatment of Greater Manchester during the pandemic. Over the last decade, I have been challenging this failure from the outside and building a new and better way of doing politics. We have built Greater Manchester into the fastest-growing city-region in the UK and put buses back under public control, introducing a £2 fare cap to help people with cost-of-living pressures. However, there is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester. Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again. This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people. Millions are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. It has already made changes to make life better for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to people to come back together as a Labour movement, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place. I want to recognise the difficult decision taken by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his family are making. I have worked closely with him as Mayor on issues like flooding and illegal waste dumping and have seen first-hand how effective he has been. He has put the communities of Makerfield first, made a real difference for them and should take great pride in that. Finally, I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times. We will change Labour for the better and make it a party you can believe in again. ENDS

A source close to Streeting tells me it had become clear that MPs and members would not countenance a leadership contest that did not involve Andy Burnham. Streeting has not ruled out standing in any future contest, indeed those who had been organising for him say he would definitely be involved, but the thinking is that would come at a later date.

Breaking: A person who communicated in Russian promised to pay alleged arsonists to light a series of fires targeting Keir Starmer last year, prosecutors said at the start of their trial today. Roman Lavrynovych was “recruited, instructed and promised with payment” by a person using the pseudonym ‘El Money,’ according to Telegram messages shown to the jury. “‘El Money’ communicated in Russian, in contrast to the Ukrainian otherwise used by the defendants,” the lead prosecutor said. “We have only one half of a conversation as the other side has been deleted.”

Orbán and his team have started spreading Russian-style disinformation. They are sending out messages falsely claiming that our candidates are withdrawing. TISZA is not withdrawing anywhere; we are running with a real chance of winning in every constituency.