Andy Burnham urged to make voting compulsory to avoid 'distorted' election results
Andy Burnham is being urged to make voting compulsory across Britain amid claims dwindling turnout is producing “distorted” election results.Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has thrown his weight behind calls to introduce a legal duty to participate in elections, with Britons potentially facing a fine for failing to cast a ballot.Lord Kinnock said compulsory voting was becoming “increasingly justified and necessary” as he warned falling turnout risked weakening accountability.He said: “When turnouts have fallen for various negative reasons, election results are consequently distorted, accountability can be diminished and disengagement from community obligations becomes habitual. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say “Compulsion to use, or even to attend and abstain, is now increasingly justified and necessary.”Lord Kinnock pointed to Belgium, where voting is compulsory, after living in the country for a decade.He said: “I lived for 10 years in Belgium and saw compulsory voting in practice. The high turnouts and extent of engagement in the democratic process strongly assists democracy in a country with complex ethnic and political arrangements.”The Labour heavyweight said his experience had reinforced his belief that “democracy and citizenship in the UK would benefit greatly from a comparable system of legal obligation”.Turnout at Britain's 2024 general election stood at around 60 per cent, the lowest at a general election since 2001.By comparison, turnout at Australia's 2025 federal election was around 91 per cent under the country's compulsory voting system.Baroness Jan Royall has confirmed she intends to move an amendment on compulsory voting as the Government's Representation of the People Bill passes through the House of Lords.Proposals previously put forward during the Bill's passage included a £10 penalty for failing to participate without a valid exemption, while allowing voters to return a blank or spoiled ballot rather than vote for a candidate.Exemptions proposed under the model include illness or disability, absence from the UK and sincerely held religious or conscientious objections.Former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett is also expected to back the push, alongside Lord George Foulkes.ANDY BURNHAM - READ THE LATEST:Andy Burnham accused of sending 'dangerous message' to Putin as Russia 'threatens to burn Europe'Labour set to slash taxes for high street businesses as PM vows to create 'symbol of resistance'Andy Burnham poised to tear up Keir Starmer's jury trial plans in major Labour U-turnMr Burnham himself previously refused to rule out compulsory voting while serving on Labour's front bench in 2012, warning that turnout was “getting too low to ignore”.The campaign comes as the Government pushes ahead with wider changes to Britain's electoral system, including lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing automated voter registration.Critics of compulsory voting have argued that forcing people to participate does not necessarily make voters more politically informed or engaged, while opponents also maintain that citizens should retain the freedom not to take part in elections.However, Charles White of the Campaign for Compulsory Voting described the proposal as a “common sense reform".He said: “When public apathy threatens the health of our democracy, waiting for turnout to fix itself is no longer an option.”A Government spokesman said: “Different democracies make different choices about how they encourage electoral participation. "Our focus is on removing barriers to participation and making it easier for eligible electors to register and vote.“Through our Representation of the People Bill, we’re taking steps to boost participation in our democracy, including giving 16 year olds the vote and moving towards an automated voting registration system so more people can make their voices heard.”The Representation of the People Bill is now before the House of Lords after completing its Commons stages.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Caribbean states plot to haul Britain to court in 'racial discrimination' case to force slavery reparations
Caribbean states are exploring plans to haul Britain before an international court in a bid to force the UK to pay slavery reparations.Legal experts in the region are examining whether Britain could face a case under United Nations treaties covering racial discrimination, The Telegraph reports.The potential action could see a state bring a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that Britain is breaching international obligations by refusing demands for reparations.It comes as Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley steps up pressure for the campaign to move beyond political lobbying and towards potential legal action. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Ms Mottley told supporters at a reparations conference in Barbados that it was time to “stop being advocates in a movement, and start being advocates in a case”.She added that campaigners could have an “in” with international courts.The three-day Caricom Regional Conference on Reparations was held in Barbados from September 17 to 19, bringing together leaders and campaigners from across the Caribbean and beyond.Caricom said the gathering would strengthen its reparations strategy and help develop an action plan for 2027 to 2031.Its revised Ten-Point Plan includes demands for monetary compensation and debt cancellation alongside healthcare, education and other forms of redress.Ms Mottley has also announced a technical committee tasked with developing economic evidence surrounding the impact of slavery on Barbados.The Barbados Prime Minister insisted campaigners were not seeking to financially ruin countries targeted for reparations.She said: “We have no desire to bankrupt anybody but we have a desire for justice.”LATEST DEVELOPMENTSBritain REFUSES Jamaica's £7.6bn reparations demand as delegation descends on Buckingham PalaceJamaica steps up push for £7.6billion in reparations for slavery with formal petition to KingReparations activists push British Museum to hand back Caribbean artefacts despite not being stolenOne possible legal avenue reportedly being examined centres on the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.Campaigners argue the consequences of slavery continue to be felt through economic underdevelopment, health inequalities and contemporary racism.They could argue that Britain's refusal to provide redress therefore concerns an ongoing harm rather than solely events that took place centuries ago.Britain abolished slavery across most of its empire in 1834.Ms Mottley also suggested reparations could be delivered over generations rather than through a single cash settlement.Pressure on Britain is expected to continue at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November.Caribbean leaders are set to push reparations onto the agenda, with the King expected to attend the gathering.Downing Street has already rejected a separate reparations push from Jamaica after its Government lodged a petition with the King earlier this month.A spokesman for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “The UK does not and will not pay reparations. "The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent, and of course it’s right that we acknowledge the wrongs of the past. But we continue to face forward and work with other countries on current shared challenges.”Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Volunteers needed to support Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal
Volunteers are needed to support the Poppy Appeal, which helps veterans, current serving personnel and their families, who have served and sacrificed for their country.The Royal British Legion’s largest annual fundraising campaign launches next month and ahead of this, the charity is recruiting volunteers to sell poppies between October 22 and Remembrance Sunday on November 8.The simple act of wearing a poppy sends a personal message of thanks and support for the Armed Forces community to see, as well as supporting those in need. Mandy Clements-Hunt is the North Yorkshire Poppy Appeal Manager for the Royal British Legion. She is looking for volunteers in the region and told GB News: "In the area, we have around 3,500 volunteers and they are vital to make the appeal run and we cannot do it without those fantastic volunteers that are out and about collecting. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say "It's vital that we raise money for the armed forces community. You will see conflicts and modern conflicts to this day."The volunteers will mostly be out and about in supermarkets during the appeal, raising the money to support the Armed Forces community. It's important for us to support those that are serving and those that have served."Those guys and ladies have gone out and they have given their all for us, and so it is great for us to be able to just give that little bit back to them, to say thank you."That's why we wear our poppy on Remembrance Sunday. Isn't it absolutely glorious when you're looking around and seeing everyone wearing their paper poppy? For me, when I am on Remembrance Sunday, I'll look around and it's job done if everyone's wearing their poppy."They understand why they're wearing the poppy, and of course, it's not just the older generation that wears their poppy. We need for all of the lovely little children to be wearing them as well."Mandy added that if people are looking for a more active part in the Appeal, Poppy Appeal Organisers are also needed in Skipton or Harrogate.This role is crucial to delivering the Appeal and organising a team of dedicated volunteers, and training and support would be provided.Army veteran Barry Blood is proud to have served his country. The 79-year-old joined the Royal British Legion 30 years ago and has sold poppies ever since.He is also the former President of the Skipton Royal British Legion branch. Barry Blood started out as a cadet in Skipton in the 1950s, when he was 12 and joined the Army in 1965, where he served in Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland. During his time in the forces, Barry experienced the trauma of conflict.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:Yorkshire super prison warned against expansion as Labour eyes empty wings to ease overcrowdingCare home residents moved to tears as wartime memories brought back to lifePiddington resident fears for her safety over 'unfair' plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers"When I joined the Army, we started out in Norway, 200 miles into the Arctic Circle place called Tromso," Barry told GB News."It was freezing cold and there was no proper protection clothing in those days, not like you have nowadays, and it was terrible."I thought it was going to die, and so did the other recruits with me. We went back to Germany for a short while, and then we went to Cyprus and we loved that as there was no rain in Cyprus and lovely sunshine."But the Greeks and the Turks were fighting each other, and we were posted there for six months in Cyprus, and we lived in tents for six months."Every night, we used to stand to down the trench with a rifle and to burn it. That's how it was in those days. That was 1967, and then we went to Germany and then on to the Caribbean on a troopship in a convoy doing exercise with the US Marine Corps in the Virgin Islands."Barry went on to become a training sergeant at Strensall Barracks in North Yorkshire and then moved to Catterick before touring in Northern Ireland between 1971 and 1974.Tragically, more than 3,500 people died during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and Barry said: "It was a traumatic time for the soldiers and it was for the wives as well - the wives suffered just as much as we did."You didn't see your family as much at all and it ruined a lot of family life."On the first tour in Northern Ireland, we lost two soldiers killed and one wounded on the first patrol we did, and I think about that all the time."The Poppy Appeal is a vital part of Remembrance and supports serving personnel, veterans, and their families.Speaking at the cenotaph in Skipton, Army Veteran Barry Blood said: "Our cenotaph here has got lots of names on from Iraq and Afghanistan and Northern Ireland and so on."I try to remember what's gone in the past and Remembrance and the Poppy Appeal means a lot to me, and we definitely need more younger volunteers to get involved in selling the poppies as I'm nearly 80, some of the other veterans who sell the poppies are in their 90s, and we need help from the next generations for such an important cause."The Royal British Legion, which organises the annual Poppy Appeal, relies on around 60,000 dedicated volunteers to help deliver the appeal nationwide each year.The money raised makes a vital difference to people in the Armed Forces community, providing expert advice and practical support, whatever the need, whenever it’s needed.The Royal British Legion can support with housing, debt and money advice, employment and physical and mental health.Anyone interested in finding out more about being a volunteer can contact the Royal British Legion on a dedicated helpline 0345 845 1945, or online here. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Ed Sheeran contemplated quitting performing in aftermath of Macklemore row
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Ed Sheeran admits ‘mistakes’ at first concert since Macklemore tour row
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Ed Sheeran says he contemplated quitting as an artist at first concert since Macklemore crisis engulfed tour
Showbiz Ed Sheeran says he contemplated quitting as an artist at first concert since Macklemore crisis engulfed tour Ed Sheeran admits he has made ‘mistakes’ as he returns to stage in Philadelphia after rapper was dropped from the tour for making pro-Palestinian remarks Allow Exco Player content This content is provided . Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content. Allow and Continue Matt Watts, News Editor1 minute ago Ed Sheeran revealed he questioned whether he “wanted to be an artist at all” as the controversy over Macklemore’s removal engulfed his tour in crisis. Support acts and the backing band for the star’s current The Loop tour dropped out of the remaining dates after the US rapper was removed from the line-up following comments about the conflict in Gaza. Performing for the first time since the incident unfolded, Sheeran told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia: “I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. “I really didn’t know whether I’d be even getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. “In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.” He opened the show admitting he had made “mistakes” and condemning the conflict in Gaza as “catastrophic” and “unjustifiable”. Ed Sheeran addressed the recent controversy that has engulfed his tour as he returned to the stage Instagram / Ed Sheeran The English singer said he had tried in the past not to be a “political commentator” because he wanted his shows to be about “unity”. “I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he said. “What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken ’ lives, children’s lives. “And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.” Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested before the Ed Sheeran concert in Philadelphia Sheeran concluded the concert by saying: “The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope.” Ahead of the show, attendees said they were sticking . James Webber IV from Scranton, Pennsylvania said: “I stand with Ed. All politics aside, we just like the music.
Revealed: London's hotspots for knife crime - how bad is it in your area?
News | London Revealed: London's hotspots for knife crime - how bad is it in your area? More than 13,000 knife related offences have been recorded . Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content. Allow and Continue Tom Place, News Reporter1 minute ago Crime statistics released . The figures, taken from the Met’s monthly crime data statistics, show that a total of 13,649 knife related offences were recorded 2025 and August 2026. Of those offences, the Met have recorded 7,601 (55.6%) as being involved in a robbery, 1,490 (10.9%) involved threat to kill, and 4,190 (30.7%) are referred to as “assault with injury”. The other 369 incidents are classed as “other” offences, including homicides, attempted murder, sexual assault and rape. It comes as 28-year-old Reece Salmon was stabbed to death on a ‘Millionaire’s Row’ in Clerkenwell earlier this week. While seven teenagers and a man were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a “knife fight” in a KFC restaurant in south London earlier this month. The borough with the worst knife crime rate in the past year is Newham, with 824 offences logged. Southwark and Lambeth ranked second and third on the list, with 697 and 691 knife related offences recorded respectively. Westminster and Tower Hamlets also appear high on the overall list - highlighting central London’s problem with knife crime. Southwest London recorded low figures, with Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, and Kensington & Chelsea taking the bottom four spots. Of the 13,548 victims of knife crime in the past year, 2,319 (17.1%) were women and 10,677 (78.8%) were men, with the others not having their sex logged. Worryingly, of victims whose ages were recorded, almost half were under the age of 25. 6,791 victims (51.7%) of victims were 26 or over, while 3,211 were between 18 and 25 and 3,087 were between 10 and 17 years old. Met Police officer denies causing death of pregnant woman in high speed crash 'Nothing could prepare me for the discovery of my murdered friend' Rediscover your adventurous side on an exotic getaway There were 43 recorded knife crime victims under the age of 10. The investigation is continuing into the Bromley stabbings The Standard composite Bromley features fairly low on the list, with 276 total offences, but a 14-year-old boy has been charged after stabbings in the borough last week that left four people in hospital. Another six people arrested in the aftermath of the stabbings have been released on bail. Police were called to Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm on Thursday September 10, where three boys, aged between 14 and 17 and a 21-year-old man were found with stab wounds and rushed to hospital.
Major seaside hotel fire treated as suspicious
A seaside hotel in Folkestone has been evacuated after a fire in the early hours A fire at a seaside hotel where about 280 people were evacuated is believed to have been caused deliberately, police have said. A total of 26 fire engines were sent to the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone at about BST on Saturday, Kent Fire & Rescue Service said. Kent Police said that the fire was being treated as suspicious and is appealing for witnesses. "Inquiries into the circumstances are under way," police said. Kent Police is appealing for witnesses to the hotel fire In an update at, the fire service said that three fire engines and a height vehicle remained in attendance, and firefighting operations were ongoing. Crews will stay in attendance overnight to monitor and extinguish any remaining hotspots, it said. "An investigation is under way to establish the cause of the fire at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, which is being treated as suspicious," a fire service spokesperson said. Station manager Lawrence Pater said the "very severe" fire had raised concerns about the structural integrity of the building, and that it was seeking advice from inspectors. At the height of the incident, a total of 26 fire engines were at the scene Folkestone & Hythe District Council has set up a welfare centre at the Three Hills Sports Park, and nearby residents have been advised to avoid the area of the fire and close windows and doors. "We are supporting all emergency services involved in the response and their efforts to get people to safety", the council said. South East Coast Ambulance Service said it assessed a number of people at the scene and one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries. A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels Group, which runs the Grand Burstin Hotel, said it was "taking immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all guests and team members". "Emergency services are on site and we are fully cooperating with the authorities to support those affected and assist with the ongoing response", it added. Ross Honeycomb was evacuated from the hotel with his family Ross Honeycomb, 39, was staying at the hotel with his family and told the BBC that they were woken. He said: "I thought I was dreaming, it was horrifying. "We looked out and there was smoke billowing from the underground car park. Later we started hearing explosions." "It has just been madness.
'Fast, furious and dangerous' - a city's quad bike menace
This video can not be played Several videos showed riders around the Stephenson Street area of the city Sitting in his Birmingham city centre apartment, one resident says he can often hear them before he sees them. The sound of revving engines is followed -road motorcycles weaving through traffic, performing wheelies and riding through some of the busiest streets in the city. "It's only a matter of time until something serious happens," he said. Videos shared on social media over recent months have captured groups of riders travelling through areas including Hurst Street, Bristol Road and Corporation Street, often with faces covered and no visible number plates. One video filmed a pedestrian narrowly avoiding being struck as a group rode through the city centre. "I've watched them and they go through red lights, they just totally ignore the red lights," he said. "People still cross when the pedestrian lights are green, but they don't even slow down to check. "They're zigzagging in the middle of cars. The noise created a source of frustration, particularly in busy pedestrian areas. "For people in and around the city, not just residents but visitors too, if you've got young children walking around, you don't want to hear all that," the resident said. "It's fast, furious and dangerous." Witnesses said some riders ignored red lights and weaved through moving traffic The riders have also been seen .
Earl Spencer accuses King of gaslighting him and being 'astonishingly provocative'
Earl Spencer has accused King Charles of gaslighting him and being "astonishingly provocative" in the latest escalation of his row with the royals.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey urged to ditch the stunts and get serious
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Meta launches fresh legal challenge over UK’s Online Safety Act
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Michael Marra named new leader of Scottish Labour
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Are the Lib Dems still delivering or should they change course?
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France’s National Rally criticizes Russia in rare rebuke
The far-right party has been divided over its stance toward Russia.
Germany’s top general to lead NATO’s highest military authority
Carsten Breuer — widely seen as the front-runner — beat out Canada's Jennie Carignan for the role of NATO military committee chair.
Chiltern Railways enters public ownership in Labour nationalisation push
The rail minister, Peter Hendy, second from right, alongside a Chiltern train with the operator’s new livery. Photograph: Department for Transport View image in fullscreen The rail minister, Peter Hendy, second from right, alongside a Chiltern train with the operator’s new livery. Photograph: Department for Transport Chiltern Railways enters public ownership in Labour nationalisation push Operator that runs services between London Marylebone and Birmingham is sixth to be nationalised since 2025 Chiltern Railways has become the latest train operator to enter public ownership as the government closes in on its ambition to renationalise all major passenger rail services. The operator, which runs commuter rail services on the Chiltern mainline between London Marylebone and Birmingham, on Sunday became the sixth to be nationalised under Labour, with the remaining four to follow 2027. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the move would bring more reliable services, with plans to end what it termed the “daily frustration” of overcrowding. Back on track: can Burnham fix the north’s woeful rail services? It has promised a package of improvements for Chiltern passengers, including more services and seats, new trains, upgraded stations and better onboard facilities including upgraded wifi. The government legislated in 2024 to renationalise private train operations as contracts allowed, joining the four operators already in public ownership and Network Rail to eventually establish an integrated body, Great British Railways (GBR). The rail minister, Peter Hendy, said: “Every transfer into public ownership gives us the chance to tackle the bread-and-butter issues people care about – more frequent, comfortable trains that turn up on time. “As we set up Great British Railways, we’re putting passengers first. It will not happen overnight, but we will build a railway the country can trust and rely on and that will create growth, jobs and homes.” View image in fullscreen Lord Hendy visits London Marylebone to mark the transfer of Chiltern Railways into public ownership. Photograph: Department for TransportAnother 25 daily services will be introduced on the Chiltern network from December, with 10,000 extra seats each weekday, as more new trains are rolled out. Tony Baxter, the interim managing director of Chiltern Railways, said customers would see “improvements made possible thanks to years of planning, dedication and hard work . Public ownership will further strengthen that progress through closer collaboration across the industry.” The DfT said the move “also provides a fresh opportunity to deliver East West Rail”, the long-awaited services that should have started under Chiltern last year on a completed stretch of the future Oxford-Cambridge line. skip past promotion after promotion However, it is unclear if a start date for East-West services between Oxford and Milton Keynes has come any closer after the transfer to the state operator, DfTO.
Kemi Badenoch accuses Andy Burnham of ‘fiddling while Europe risks burning’
Kemi Badenoch said the prime minister had to ‘stop pretending that we are living in a carefree end of history’. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA View image in fullscreen Kemi Badenoch said the prime minister had to ‘stop pretending that we are living in a carefree end of history’. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA Kemi Badenoch accuses Andy Burnham of ‘fiddling while Europe risks burning’ Tory leader claims prime minister is avoiding difficult decisions as she urges him to increase defence spending Kemi Badenoch has accused Andy Burnham of “fiddling while Europe is at risk of burning”, as she repeated her call for the prime minister to cut the welfare budget to fund increase spending on defence. Speaking to the Telegraph, the Tory leader said that “Burnham may be a people pleaser but difficult choices cannot be avoided through dither and delay”. She said the government had to “fund our defence properly” at a time when former military chiefs have raised questions about Britain’s preparedness for war. Badenoch said: “Our government is fiddling while Europe is at risk of burning. In France and Poland, leaders are taking action now against the growing Russian threat. What is our government doing? Has anyone heard from Wes Streeting, the former head of the National Union of Students, who has rocked up as defence secretary?” Discourse on the “welfare v warfare” debate has grown louder in recent days since Burnham’s comments during prime minister’s questions on 9 September that national security could not “come at the expense of social security”. John Healey in talks with Canada about UK joining new global defence bank The Tory leader said Burnham was sending a “dangerous” message that he would not cut welfare to fund the military, which was “heard loud and clear in Moscow as well as Manchester”. She added: “We have to stop pretending that we are living in a carefree end of history when Russia is testing our resolve week after week. It’s time to get serious.” The UK has promised to commit 3.5% of national income to defence by 2035, in line with a pledge , but there is growing pressure on the chancellor, John Healey, to outline how further increases will be achieved before next month’s budget. Adm Lord West, a former security minister under Gordon Brown, said Britain’s military was in “quite a parlous state”. “In many ways, one could argue we are already at war.
Davey says Lib Dems are 'firewall against Farage' as conference begins
This video can not be played Ed Davey says the Lib Dems have "a historic opportunity to win many more seats and a moral responsibility to stop Reform" Sir Ed Davey said the Liberal Democrats are "a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform" as the party's conference began in Brighton. The Lib Dem leader sought to strike a combative stance as he faced down some criticism from MPs, including one who said publicly that they felt the party was struggling for relevance. On the first day of the autumn conference, Sir Ed warned an "unholy alliance" between Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Farage could turn the UK into a "Trump satellite state". Addressing speculation about a possible snap election, he said the party was ready to fight and would build its so-called orange wall even higher 2024 record of 72 MPs. Sir Ed's attention-grabbing stunts helped raise the party's profile ahead of the last election, but recent polling showed 43% of respondents were unclear what the Liberal Democrats stand for, with just over half describing them as "weak". In an essay, external written ahead of conference, South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage asked: "Why are we as a party struggling for relevance at precisely the moment when so many people feel powerless?" She urged the party to rediscover its "insurgent spirit" rather than being the "polite custodians of a system that leaves people feeling powerless". Asked about her comments, Sir Ed said: "No, I heard Roz [Savage], and I really value her, but I think she's wrong on that. "If you look at our election results up and down the country, we now run more councils than the Conservatives." He added: "Listen, MPs get elected and they get frustrated because they can't change the world. "I'm afraid that's the political system. Sir Ed insisted his party has a "distinctive position" in British politics, and will use the four-day conference to position it to take on the challenge from Reform as well as its typical rivals the Conservatives, talking up their focus on the NHS and goal of re-joining the EU single market and customs union. Ahead of a speech to party members, Davey urged Liberal Democrats not to look away from injustice or "human dignity under attack" but to fight back.
Ireland's relationship with UK under Burnham off to 'very good start'
Burnham said it "feels very fitting" to welcome Martin as the first international visitor to Number 10 North Ireland's relationship with the UK under Andy Burnham's premiership has got off to a "very good start", Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin has said. But he refused to be drawn on how much the issue of Irish unity had featured during their first official meeting at Number 10 North on Friday. The visit came days after US President Donald Trump made comments about supporting a "unified Ireland". Martin said the men had a "broad discussion" about upholding the Good Friday Agreement and that they did not get into specifics. "It was the first meeting, it went well... I think we have the capacity to make a lot of progress on a lot of issues in the time ahead," he said. Martin was the first international leader to visit the government's new headquarters in Manchester, and also visited the Brian Boru Irish Club in Burnham's constituency in Ashton-in-Makerfield. On his visit to Northern Ireland last month, Burnham said a border poll was "off the table", but later said he stood . The taoiseach and prime minister visited the Brian Boru Irish Club in Ashton-in-Makerfield The taoiseach said he and the prime minister had discussed the UK's Troubles legacy legislation in depth, and that he had "stressed the importance" of passing the bill through Parliament. The government is expected to publish details of changes in the middle of next month, with Martin saying both London and Dublin had been working closely on it. He also said both he and the prime minister wanted to power-sharing institutions at Stormont working more effectively, and that the Irish government believes there needs to be reform. He said Burnham understood the issue and was currently focused on trying to resolve negotiations with the Stormont executive to agree a budget for this year. Burnham said the relationship between the UK and Ireland matters "on every single level" as he greeted the taoiseach on Friday. The prime minister said they were "working together" to uphold the principles of the peace deal for Northern Ireland. Burnham added that as "co-custodians of the Good Friday Agreement, we are working together to uphold its principles as we approach the 30th anniversary". The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.