Seth

Let's make hope normal again.

Andy Burnham voted for the Iraq War, an illegal war that killed over a million people. As Health Secretary, he helped drive NHS privatisation. He joined Labour Friends of Israel, opposed BDS as “spiteful”, praised Israel as a “democracy”, and called the Balfour Declaration “British values in action”. He is a Zionist. Stop pretending he’s a radical alternative, he’s more of the same.

So, the same Zack Polanski who falsely claimed hypnosis increases breast size, falsely claimed he was a Red Cross ‘spokesperson’, & failed to pay council tax has now admitted he didn’t vote despite claiming otherwise? If you’re still defending this guy, give your head a wobble.

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

The FSU is disappointed that the King's Speech included a draft bill to ban conversion therapy. Trying to force gay people to become straight is already illegal in this country, so what does the Government want to ban? We fear Labour wants to make it a criminal offence for parents and health professionals to try to persuade gender-confused children not to embark on irreversible, life-changing medical treatment that can leave them permanently sterile and cause other lasting harms. If that is the Government's intention, we will vigorously campaign against the bill.

In our first Westminster VI after the local elections, Reform’s lead increases to 9pts over Labour ➡️ REF UK 30% (+2) 🌹 LAB 21% (nc) 🌳 CON 19% (-1) 🌍 GREEN 11% (-1) 🔶 LIB DEM 14% (+2) ❓OTH 2% (-3) 🟡 SNP 3% (+1) N = 3,070 | Fieldwork 9-12 May | Changes w/ 4 May

On behalf of their client, Zara Sultana, Bindmans Media and Information Law Practise Group requires that I publish the following statement on X, and that such statement must be clearly visible and pinned to my profile for a continuous period of no less than 24 hours: “On 30 March 2026, I published a post on my X account addressed to Zarah Sultana in which I stated that she encourages and incites violence and is friends with terrorists. Those statements are false. I was wrong and offer my sincere apologies to Ms Sultana for the harm and distress caused to her.” It is my very great pleasure to do this, and I reiterate my sincere and repeated offer to meet with Miss Zara Sultana in person to resolve our differences.

JUST IN: NYC Mayor Mamdani announces New York City has cut the $12 billion budget deficit to zero.

- A local launderette collected Mr Polanski's laundry every two-to-three weeks (and local sources have told us that it was an amount of laundry suggesting regular occupation, not just occasional visits).