A really superb, rounded profile of Andy Burnahm by @joshi worth your time (and the subscription)
manchestermill.co.uk/stop-looking-f…
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Sam Coates Sky
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Sam Coates Sky
@SamCoatesSky
Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor, Sky News 📺📰🎙️ Politics at Sam and Anne’s podcast🎙️TV by @JoeCookJ
London Katılım Şubat 2009
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
The government now looks to be trying to get secondary legislation through to move away from FPTP and back to Supplementary Vote by 19 June, in time for any new Manchester mayor vote 👀
questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statem…
Sam Coates Sky@SamCoatesSky
NEW: If Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelection he is required to quit the Manchester Metro Mayor and it will hold an election. Government has passed legislation to change the mayoral voting system away from FPTP to a proportional system BUT The government haven’t passed the necessary secondary legislation to enact this change. So as it’s stands, a mayoral election would be held under FPTP
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
And another: Burnham has today committed to Labour’s manifesto pledges on tax (after failing to do so mid-week). That means he cannot raise the top rate of income tax as he proposed at conference
Alex Wickham@alexwickham
NEW: Another Andy Burnham u-turn appeared designed at dropping his past positions to win Reform votes He says he supports the EHRC guidance on single sex spaces and the Supreme Court ruling Previously he said trans women should be able to use female toilets
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Congratulations to Ed Conway for being awarded winner of Business and Finance Journalist of the Year at the Press Awards 2026 @SkyNews
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Stat of the day The week's housing talking point is the move to block 867 flats in Peckham which led @BerkeleyGroupUK to declare developers can no longer invest in #London sites and cast more doubt over Labour's 1.5m new home pledge
thismon.ee/a/15835259 via @ThisIsMoney
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
UK government says it's closing a tax loophole that allowed some oil/gas firms to pay little (or none at all) tax on their British energy trading profits.
From @RachelReevesMP statement today:
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
EXCLUSIVE: Whitehall insiders say a visit from President Zelenskyy to the UK was expected on Friday but is now much less likely following the UK's decision to delay sanctions on Russian oil products.
@SamCoatesSky and @annemcelvoy discuss
🎧 Listen to PASAA here: podfollow.com/politics-at-sa…
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
From golf to travel to the United States, the Andrew Papers released by government reveal the behind the scenes communications when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was a trade envoy in the 2000s.
Deputy Political Editor @SamCoatesSky takes us through the highlights
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Prince Andrew wasn’t trusted by his own aides not to use government trips to play golf, this suggests
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
YouGov's study of the 2026 local elections shows that just 46% of 2024 Labour voters who went to the polls remained loyal to the party, with more backing the Greens (22%) than Reform UK (6%) two weeks ago
The Conservatives retained 55% of their 2024 voters, with 33% switching to Reform UK
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
That's a rather generous reading: in Oct 2025, UK gov announced it would ban all imports of refined products made with Russian oil in third countries. Typically, London moved on oil sanctions in unison with Brussels. But EU went ahead with the ban in Jan 2026 and London procrastinated. Then, yesterday, to the surprise of every European ally, it introduced the restrictions, but watered down from its Oct announcement, allowing the importation of diesel and jet fuel (which are the two fuels that matter, so effectively, the new measure is completely toothless).
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Single sex spaces guidance could come as soon as this evening, I'm told.
Needs to be today / tomorrow to fulfil this promise:
Sam Coates Sky@SamCoatesSky
Government guidance on single sex spaces, following the Supreme Court ruling last year, now coming this month says Bridget Phillipson
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Will Rachel Reeves spark a planning row?
In today’s episode, @samcoatessky exclusively reveals that Rachel Reeves is preparing to curb the right to judicial review for certain big block projects.
🎧 Listen to PASAA here: podfollow.com/politics-at-sa…
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Meanwhile, Cornwall Insights final prediction for the July energy price cap is an increase of £209 to £1,850 for a typical household.
That completely wipes out the govt's changes which saved an avg consumer £150 a year.
The price cap for July-September 2025 was £1,720, so YoY it's a 7.56% increase, pushing inflation higher.
cornwall-insight.com/predictions-an…
UK Prime Minister@10DowningStreet
Good news: inflation has fallen today. Our action to reduce energy bills - with the price cap dropping by £117 - means inflation is now lower. There’s more to do - this government is delivering for Britain.
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Immigration 7 points behind economy on the tracker
YouGov@YouGov
YouGov most important issues tracker, 16-18 May 2026 Economy: 56% (no change from 9-11 May) Immigration: 49% (+1) Health: 30% (=) Defence: 24% (-2) Welfare: 19% (+3) Crime: 18% (=) Housing: 17% (=) Taxation: 16% (+1) Europe: 14% (-1) Environment: 14% (-1)
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Also look at the “right bloc”
84% of current Reform UK want their party to win the byelection. And 22% of current Tories.
But if Reform is best placed in the constituency at the moment (they won every ward in Makerfield in the local elections), that means 78% of Tories are not throwing their weight behind Reform to keep out Labour when the Labour candidate is named.
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Pro Andy Burnham tactical voting?
In today's exclusive Sky-YouGov poll, it's striking just how much a difference Burnham seems to make. In this week's voting intention poll, Labour are 8 points behind Reform. But asked who you want to win in Makerfield - where the poll names Andy Burnham as the Labour candidate - Labour is ahead by 8 points. And amongst Northern voters, Labour is ahead by 16 points.
Why? Look at this tactical voting / support switching.
Amongst those who want Burnham to win Makerfield include:
16% current Tories
46% current Lib Dems
6% current Reform UK and
35% current Greens
All of these say if there were an election tomorrow, they want another party to win but want a Burnham victory in Makerfield
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Sam Coates Sky retweetledi
Can Keir Starmer manage a 'frozen conflict' in his cabinet?
In today’s episode, @samcoatessky and @annemcelvoy ask how the Prime Minister will handle his cabinet critics.
Listen to #PASAA here: podfollow.com/politics-at-sa…
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YouGov / Sky / Times voting intention
RefUK 25(-3),
CON 18(+1),
LAB 17(+1),
GRN 15(-1)
LDEM 14(+1),
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