Josh Simon's, the former Makerfield MP who stood aside for Andy Burnham, has warned that Sir Keir Starmer can expect a "rough time" on the campaign trail.
The Manchester Mayor confirmed he will be running for a Labour leadership bid in order to "save the party" if successful in being an MP
Simons announced he would step down to pave the way for Mr Burnham to return to Westminster.
The Prime Minister has publicly thrown his "100 per cent" support for the upcoming Makerfield by-election despite the threat to his future leadership.
Reacting to the pledge, Mr Simon told the Times: “He’ll have some rough doorsteps. Wiganers don’t hold back on what they think.
"But you know, it’s never a bad thing to hear straight from voters exactly what they think about the job you’re doing. So, from that perspective, good luck."
He admitted to having been “frustrated” with Starmer's administration for some time.
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‘Socialism 101!’ Tory MP slams Labour’s economic policies as ‘absolute madness’
Conservative David Reed has slammed Labour’s handling of the economy as “Socialism 101”.
Speaking to GB News, the Tory Shadow Defence Minister described Rachel Reeves’s measures as “absolute madness” that are seeing businesses close down.
“I think this is absolute madness. Just looking at Labour economics, this is socialism 101 with all these new taxes on businesses,” he fumed.
Listing off policies, Mr Reed said: “Employers' National Insurance increases, increases in the national minimum wage, business rates increases.
“Compound all that with higher energy costs, and throw in a bunch of new legislation on employee rights, and you realise why businesses are closing and not being able to take on young people.
“In the young people. It's absolute madness!”
Labour reports Nigel Farage following 'Russian phone hack'
Labour chair Anna Turley has reported Nigel Farage to the police and the National Cyber Security Centre.
It comes after the Reform UK leader was given a 24-hour deadline earlier this week to confirm he had alerted authorities following claims Kremlin-backed hackers had accessed his mobile phone.
Mr Farage insisted details of a £5million gift he received from a crypto billionaire only came to light because his phone was compromised.
Reform told the media it had notified "relevant authorities".
Green Makerfield candidate claims 'colonial' farming driving up cancer rates
The Green Party's candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election suggested farming across former British colonies was driving up cancer rates.
Sarah Wakefield blamed an increase in bowel cancer and childhood obesity rates on "inequality in the food system".
The Manchester City Councillor and Executive Director of Eating Better previously suggested an unequal food system was contributing to poorer diets and higher cancer rates around the world.
While she did not clarify how, she blamed Britain’s high consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) on big corporations taking advantage of farmers in former colonies.
Keir Starmer criticises Russia after drone strike injured two in Romania
Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Russia after a drone injured two people in the Romanian city of Galati, near the border with Ukraine.
The Prime Minister said in a statement: "This is a serious violation of Nato airspace.
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure threatens the security of our entire continent.
"The UK unreservedly condemns such strikes.
"Time and again, Russia has shown it has no regard for civilian life, for international law, or for the sovereignty of its neighbours.
"That must not be allowed to stand."
Robert Jenrick confirms Reform would ban Kirpan blades following murder of Henry Nowak
Robert Jenrick has confirmed that Reform would ban the carrying of Kirpan blades following murder of Henry Nowak | GB NEWSRobert Jenrick has confirmed Reform UK would ban the carrying of ceremonial blades like the Sikh Kirpan, which was held alongside another knife by murderer Vickrum Digwa.
Speaking to GB News, the Reform economics spokesman said his party would end the existing legal protections that allow blades to be carried as part of a cultural practice.
Mr Jenrick was questioned on the issue after Digwa, 23, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering university student Henry Nowak.
The 23-year-old was holding a 'Kirpan', a religious knife carried by initiated Sikhs as a mandatory article of faith.
Mr Jenrick said: "I do think the law should change. Is there a place on our streets for swords and daggers? No. And should people be treated differently depending on their faith? No."
Tom Watson to take Lords break after cancer diagnosis
Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson of Wyre Forest is taking a leave of absence
|PA
Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson of Wyre Forest is taking a leave of absence from the House of Lords, he has said, after the return of his cancer.
Lord Watson was diagnosed with non-aggressive prostate cancer in March 2023 and later received the all clear.
However, the former minister under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said in a post on Substack on Friday that he was told earlier this year that the cancer had returned.
The Labour peer said initial tests suggested the second bout of cancer had “gone” but he was due to undergo more checks later this summer.
It came as the Government has recommended against a population-wide prostate cancer screening programme and said instead only a “few thousand” high-risk men should be tested.
Tory vote collapses after dropping from first to last in council by-election
The Conservatives saw their vote collapse in a local by-election, falling from first to last, with the Liberal Democrats surging into the lead.
A by-election was held in the Fairwood ward in Swansea after the death of former Conservative Lord Mayor of Swansea, Paxton Hood-Williams.
Mr Hood-Williams, who lived in Three Crosses, served as the Lord Mayor for 2024-25, which he described at the time as an "honour and a privilege".
GB News has taken a look at the by-election and what the results mean for the state of the Welsh council.
AI facial recognition to check age of asylum seekers claiming to be children
The Home Office is set to begin using AI facial recognition tests to estimate the age of asylum seekers claiming to be children.
Harlow-based IT company Akhter Computers has been awarded a £322,000 contract to provide “an algorithm that can accurately predict the age of a subject”, according to an official notice published on Friday.
It added the Home Office could use the technology to determine the age of people who lack “verifiable identity documents”, such as those arriving in the UK on small boats.
Unaccompanied children seeking asylum are treated differently to adults, and being under the age of 18 can in some cases have an impact on whether asylum is granted.
Age assessments are currently carried out by immigration officers in cases where the age of an asylum seeker is disputed.
Lalia Cunningham calls for the release of the bodycam footage after murder of Henry Nowak
Lalia Cunningham is Reform UK’s London Mayoral Candidate
|GB NEWS
Reform UK’s London Mayoral Candidate Lalia Cunningham calls for the release of the bodycam footage of the police officers who were at the scene of the murder of Henry Nowak.
Speaking to GB News, Ms Cunningham said: "Henry Novak's family and him deserve justice.
"Until we see what happened, all we can see now is that a boy bled in the police's arms, and he was the one who was handcuffed.
"I think that doesn't really leave much to speculate about. He must have been bleeding quite a bit, and I think they should release the body-worn as soon as possible.
"I was a prosecutor. I actually saw how allegations involving race or so-called racial slurs suddenly changed the atmosphere around a case. That takes priority over everything. As a senior prosecutor, I could discontinue many cases, quite serious cases. But if those cases involved a racial slur, then I'd have to get my seniors to approve the discontinuation.
"That's how seriously we take racial slurs as opposed to violence. And sometimes the fear of getting the race issue wrong seems to take precedence over getting the whole case right.
"That's what frustrates people."
She added: "I think the situation is pretty heated right now.
"We have a boy who was murdered by someone, and he was the one who was handcuffed.
"I don't think we should belittle it. I don't think there's any time to waste. I think the body-worn video should be released ASAP.
"I think the country deserves to know the answers straight away. And his family does, because policing should never be. Policing should never be about who the person is, what community they come from, or how politically sensitive an allegation may be. It should be about facts, evidence and protecting life.
"The fundamental question is, did the police prioritise protecting his life? If they did? Show us the evidence, and then we can have a discussion."
Home Office spending £1.2m a year to buy and maintain Channel rescue boats
The Home Office is splashing out a staggering £1.2million a year to buy and maintain Channel rescue boats.
The fleet, which patrols the English Channel, has aided the crossing of more than 70,000 small-boat migrants since Labour came to power in 2024.
The £1.259million contract covers the rental of the crewed rigid-hull inflatable boats (RIBs) for a year, with an option to extend the deal for an additional two years.
Labour has also signed a three-year deal to repair other RIBs and boats, costing the taxpayer an additional £1.6million.
'Absolute madness!' Shadow Defence Minister slams Labour for raising taxes on businesses and causing rising levels of youth unemployment
David Reed is the Shadow Defence Minister
|GB NEWS
Shadow Defence Minister David Reed MP slams Labour for raising taxes on businesses and causing rising levels of youth unemployment.
He told GB News: "This is absolute madness.
"Just looking at labour economics, this is socialism 101. They put all these new taxes on businesses. You think about employers' National Insurance increases, increases in the national minimum wage, and business rate increases.
"And then you compound all of that with higher energy costs, and then throw in a bunch of new legislation around employee rights. And you realise why businesses are closing and are not able to take on young people.
"And in the same breath, then you're saying, right, we're going to give government-funded or taxpayer-funded grants out for businesses to be able to take on young people. It's absolute madness."
Rachel Reeves to smack 'countless' landlords with 'nice pub tax' on beloved country inns
Rachel Reeves is set to smack landlords with a "nice pub tax" on some of Britain's beloved country inns.
Tax officials have been handed new guidance by HMRC which will see pubs in "character properties", those nestled in more "attractive locations", or ones which play a vital role in the community, hit with higher business rates.
The Conservative Party has branded the measure a "nice pub tax," warning it threatens the survival of cherished locals.
The guidance represents a significant shift in how nearly 40,000 pubs will be assessed during this year's revaluation exercise.
Industry figures caution that many venues simply cannot absorb the anticipated increases.
MoD exposing £1.5BILLION in British taxpayers' cash to fraud amid calls for 'radical change'
The Ministry of Defence is exposing an eye-watering £1.5billion in taxpayers' cash to fraud each year, a damning new report has revealed.
Parliament's spending watchdog has demanded "radical change" to address the deteriorating state of the public purse, while the Government is being urged to boost defence spending.
The report claims the MoD is "achieving little" in its response to hundreds of allegations of suspected economic crime.
Over the past four years, the MoD has recovered as little as 48p for every pound of the on-average £5.7million a year it has splashed on tackling fraud and economic crime.
Henry Nowak's murder should be treated like George Floyd's, demands Robert Jenrick amid calls to ban Sikh knives
Henry Nowak was stabbed to death on the walk home from a night out with friends | HANDOUTRobert Jenrick has called for Henry Nowak's murder to be treated in the same way as George Floyd's.
On Thursday, Vickrum Digwa, 23, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering the 18-year-old university student.
Mr Nowak was killed on December 3 last year as he was walking home from a night out in Southampton.
He was stabbed 5 times, including a fatal wound to the chest, by a 21cm Sikh ceremonial blade, and called out "I can't breathe" as he lay dying in the street.
Writing in The Telegraph shortly after the verdict was returned, Mr Jenrick pointed out Labour's "stony silence" surrounding the case.
He wrote: "Not a peep from the Home Secretary. Not a word from the Prime Minister who is normally quick to respond to deaths involving the police, both in the UK and abroad.
"Remember the spectacle of him 'taking the knee' over George Floyd’s death?"
Labour pledges 300,000 new work placements 'to help young people build lasting careers'
The Government have pledged to introduce tens of thousands of new work experience and training placements from construction to hospitality for young people as part of efforts to tackle the joblessness crisis.
The 300,000 new placements over the next three years are backed by some of Britain’s biggest employers, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said.
These include Manchester and Gatwick airports, and the Government has vowed that placements will reach young people across the country.
The placements, also expected to include health and social care, have been confirmed just a day after a report warning of the risk of a “lost generation”.
The number of the UK’s 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training - known as Neets - rose to more than a million, figures published on Thursday confirmed.
Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, who was tasked with leading the review into Neets, wrote that lack of work experience is “the single most-cited barrier to work amongst young people”.
His report said: “At present, the provision of work experience is an afterthought for many schools. Students are often told to find their own placements. Unsurprisingly, those without strong networks and connections are more likely to miss out."
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