Sir Keir Starmer is coming under increasing pressure from his own ministers to U-turn on Labour's net zero policy and its stance on North Sea drilling.
The Prime Minister has been warned about his repeated claims that new oil and gas drilling would "not take a penny off" people's bills.
A report published earlier this week claimed Britain risks accelerating the decline of the oil and gas industry despite overwhelming industry belief that the basin could still have a long-term future.
The 43rd Energy Transition report said confidence in the fossil fuel industry is weak due to financial instability, planning delays, transmission charging and slow project consenting, rather than a lack of opportunity or capability in the sector.
A Whitehall source told The Times: "People keep saying that it 'won't take a penny off bills'. But if it improves your balance of payments, it helps your currency, potentially letting you get money for all sorts of goods. Even small changes make a difference at scale. It might get us a few more solar panels and batteries for the same price too."
Another added: "There's a growing feeling that we've boxed ourselves in with a line that's technically true but politically useless."
Fingers were also pointed at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, with the former Labour leader's criticism of the Prime Minister potentially threatening the Government's green agenda.
One source said: "Usually Ed would have the Prime Minister's ear on this stuff. But since the betrayal on leadership, other arguments are now being heard."
Mr Miliband had called on the Prime Minister to resign and is understood to be backing Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Sir Tony Blair also told Sir Keir Starmer to rip up net zero targets and reduce the welfare budget, which the former Prime Minister said risks outpacing defence spending by the end of the decade.
A spokesman from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "The Government is implementing the manifesto commitment to deliver fair and balanced transition in the North Sea, managing existing fields for the entirety of its lifespan and not granting new exploration licences because they will not support our energy security and will not take a penny off bills."
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Labour reiterates commitment to release Mandelson files
It was 'not an impossibility' for Lord Mandelson to fail vetting | GETTYThe Government has reiterated its commitment to fully comply with an order to release the Mandelson files, amid reports that the disgraced peer’s links with Israel, China and Russia were raised before his appointment.
UK Security Vetting (UKSV) flagged Lord Peter Mandelson’s association with three senior overseas figures before he took the role of US ambassador, according to The Guardian.
His connections to Chinese finance minister Lan Fo’an, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and former Israeli military intelligence general Tamir Hayman were raised by the vetting agency in a nine-page summary, a source told the newspaper.
Concerns were also raised over Lord Mandelson receiving a £1million loan to invest in an Israeli start-up and a potentially compromising relationship with a British individual, The Guardian said.
It comes after Parliament’s intelligence watchdog accused the Government of withholding certain documents, including "a vetting file held by UK Security Vetting".
Pat McFadden responds to youth employment figures
Responding to figures showing the number of young people neither working nor learning surpassing one million, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: "These stark figures underline the importance of Alan Milburn’s report which I commissioned because we cannot afford to lose a generation of young people.
"This vital work lays bare the scale of the challenge and the root causes of youth unemployment we now need to confront.
"We are already taking action by bringing forward the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation to create 500,000 opportunities for young people, including a Youth Jobs Grant for businesses starting next month, more apprenticeships, and subsidised employment to help young people get a foot on the ladder."
Liberal Democrat deputy leader says Labour's tax plans are 'hammering job oppertunities'
Daisy Cooper slammed Labour's proposals
| PADaisy Cooper has blasted Labour, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of "hammering job opportunities" following today's youth employment figures.
The Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman said: "Today’s shocking figures confirm what we already knew: that an entire generation of young people are seeing their hopes and dreams ripped away, just as they enter what is meant to be the best years of their life.
"Labour cannot claim they were not warned.
"We Liberal Democrats repeatedly warned that Labour’s jobs tax would hammer job opportunities for young people and that their business rates hikes would kill off high street job opportunities too which give so many people young people their first job.
"The Government must urgently take action to unlock the skills and opportunities young people need to build a future they can actually believe in.
"This starts with a proper plan to get our economy growing again, scrapping the unfair jobs hike, throwing hospitality a lifeline and supercharging skills training and apprenticeships."
Keir Starmer calls for Champions League final to be broadcast for free
Sir Keir Starmer has joined fan groups and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) in calling for TNT Sport to make Saturday’s Champions League final available on free-to-air television.
In a joint statement, they said: "Football is for the fans.
"We stand together in support of the tradition of European club competition finals being shown free to air and urge TNT to honour this tradition by making the Champions League final free to watch for millions of fans, as it always has been.
"This is bigger than any one club or match. This is about putting fans first. There is still time to make the right call."
As well as the Prime Minister and the FSA, the statement was signed by supporters group from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Youth joblessness rises above one million in post-pandemic high
Britain is at risk of creating a "lost generation" as the number of young people outside work and education passes one million, a government-backed review has warned.
New figures show the crisis has reached its worst level since the pandemic.
The number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) rose to 1.01 million in the first quarter of 2026, according to fresh data released by the Office for National Statistics.
Elise Rohan, head of labour market output at the ONS, said: "The number of young people not in employment, education or training rose above one million in the first quarter of 2026, to its highest level in more than 12 years."
Youth unemployment worse in the UK compared to rest of Europe
The problem of youth unemployment is worse in the UK than elsewhere in Europe, Alan Milburn said, as he said there are now 1.6 million fewer entry level jobs than there was in the year 2000.
The former health secretary, who is publishing a report into the issue this morning, said the UK’s rate of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) is three times higher than the Netherlands and twice that of Ireland.
He told the BBC: "Young people today are caught in a perfect storm.
"If you think about what’s happening in the labour market, those voices from young people that you’ve just heard, that first rung on the career ladder, it’s just further out of reach for young people."
Former Labour health secretary rejects 'snowflake generation' accusation
A former Labour Health Secretary has rejected criticism of younger people as he dismissed the "snowflake generation" accusations levied at young people.
The number of young people neither working nor learning could reach 1.25 million within the next five years, a review by Alan Milburn has found.
He told GB News: "I've been around public policy for a long time but I have never known an issue more visceral than this with the public."
"When you go round the country and talk to people it is more than a concern, it is a fear as to what the next generation is facing. We used to have an unwritten social contract that each generation would do better than the last. That contract is now broken.
"I know people will say 'snowflake generation', that they aren't resilient or not trying.
"I go around the country and talk to young people who are putting in hundreds of job applications, never getting the response and it is the silence that kills."
Green candidate in Makerfield by-election wants British farming to be 'decolonised' with 'inclusive spaces'
Ms Wakefield, a mother of two, serves as executive director of environmental charity Eating Better | GREEN PARTYA charity run by the Green Party’s candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election has called for British farming to be "decolonised" through the creation of more "inclusive spaces" within the agricultural sector.
Zack Polanski’s party unveiled 38-year-old Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the key by-election on Tuesday.
Ms Wakefield, a mother of two, serves as executive director of environmental charity Eating Better.
She had previously sought selection for the Green Party in Gorton and Denton earlier this year before losing out to Hannah Spencer, who later became the party’s fifth MP.
Andy Burnham insists he 'acted immediately' over grooming gangs scandal
Andy Burnham has insisted he “acted immediately” on the issue of grooming gangs, as he criticised others for manipulating the facts.
The Greater Manchester mayor said he had looked towards the issue, while "lots of other politicians, in fact the vast majority, were just looking in the other direction."
In a video posted on social, Mr Burnham claimed he "initiated the biggest review into this issue that the country has seen".
He said: "I have got a really clear story that I want to get over, because sometimes people play politics with this issue and manipulate the facts.
"I want to tell you directly what I did. Within days of coming in as mayor, we’d seen the BBC programme The Three Girls, and I acted immediately on it.
"Particularly after I’d heard an interview with Maggie Oliver about a police investigation in Manchester, Operation Augusta, which had been closed down. I initiated the biggest review into this issue that the country has seen.
"That was when I was looking towards the issue, but lots of other politicians, in fact the vast majority, were just looking in the other direction.
"That review into Manchester, but with subsequent reviews into Oldham and Rochdale, and the wide-ranging review has led to major police investigations being reopened. It has led to arrests, charges, and convictions of perpetrators who would otherwise have walked free.
"Now those are the facts. You can look them up, that’s what I did, and I am happy to account on every doorstep."
Senior Conservative warns Labour has 'totally failed' to reform welfare
Helen Whately has accused Labour of "totally failing" to reform welfare.
The Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary told GB News: "You've now got a generation of young people who are much less likely to have work experience. Yes they do need more support but they also need access to jobs.
"The other side of the coin is while they are making it harder for young people to get into work, they're also doing nothing to reform welfare. The benefits system is actually more generous than many of the job opportunities.
"It's harder to get a job but easier to get on welfare and the Government should be doing something but they have totally failed."
Andy Burnham declares Tony Blair 'does not understand' people’s lives today in swipe at ex-PM
Andy Burnham is currently Greater Manchester Mayor | PAAndy Burnham has accused Sir Tony Blair of failing to understand the pressures facing ordinary Britons as the pair clash over Labour’s future.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, launched the attack after the former Prime Minister published a lengthy essay warning Labour against lurching to the left on taxation, welfare and public spending.
Sir Tony argued the party risked slipping into the political "relegation zone" and accused Sir Keir Starmer of retreating into a left-wing "comfort zone".
The former Prime Minister also took aim at Mr Burnham ahead of the Makerfield by-election, with the Greater Manchester Mayor widely expected to launch a leadership challenge if he returns to Westminster.
Labour chair urges Nigel Farage to come forward over £5million donation
Labour’s chairwoman has written to Nigel Farage, urging him to say which authorities are looking into an alleged Russian hack behind the disclosure of a £5million gift he received.
Anna Turley challenged Mr Farage to publicly confirm he reported the suspected attack to either the police or the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
She said if the MP for Clacton, Essex, failed to respond, the Labour Party would make a report itself “in the public and national interest”.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: "It has been reported to the relevant authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing."
Mr Farage received £5million from Thailand-based crypto-entrepreneur Christopher Harborne in 2024, before he stood in the general election that year.
He has previously said the money was for non-political purposes, to pay for his safety and security, and later told The Sun it was a "reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years".
Zack Polanski claims there is a 'smear campaign' against him
Green Party leader Zack Polanski hit out at media organisations
| GETTYZack Polanski has claimed there is a "smear campaign" against him as he claimed the scrutiny he faces from the media is "incredibly disproportionate".
Mr Polanski told Sky News: "I think I can say very clearly that if you compare the scrutiny that I receive compared to what Reform receives, it's incredibly disproportionate.
He continued: "We do know that there's an agenda here with media organisations, not all media organisations, but I'm a politician that wants to tax multi-millionaires and billionaires.
"I want to challenge wealth and power in this country. And some media organisations hold that wealth and power."
Youth joblessness will rise for lost generation without urgent action warns new review
The number of young people neither working nor learning could reach 1.25 million within the next five years, a review by an ex-Labour Health Secretary will warn amid fears of a “lost generation”.
Its author Alan Milburn is expected to say the first rung of the career ladder is “simply out of reach” for many young people and conclude it is not this group’s fault but rather "failure of a system stuck in the past".
While currently around one in eight people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet), this could rise to one in six young people by 2031, representing 1.25 million young lives, the review will say.
Mr Milburn, who is leading the review of the Neets crisis for the Government, will publish his interim report on Thursday.
The former Labour Cabinet minister has already spoken about some of his findings, warning at the weekend of a "bedroom generation" and saying anxiety linked to social media is driving economic inactivity among young people.