Burnham’s Doomsday Guide Descends into Farce as he is Forced to Play Down Rayner’s Joke About Stockpiling Wine

 Andy Burnham’s doomsday preparation campaign descended into farce today as he was forced to play down Angela Rayner’s joke about stockpiling wine amid questions of why a Government skimping on defence is lecturing the public. The Mail has more.

The PM said alcohol should not be “top of the list” and people would need to keep a “clear head” as he was challenged on the Housing Secretary’s previous light-hearted approach to emergency warnings.

The rebuttal came as Treasury Minister James Murray quipped that the only thing he keeps large stores of at home is coffee.

The flippant remarks contrast with the grim survivalist checklist in the new official ‘Be Ready’ guidance for emergencies – including having enough food and water for three days and cash in case the electronic payments system collapses.

A wind-up or battery radio, loo roll and baby food are also advised in the print-and-keep document.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said yesterday that the guidance would help people brace for events such as wildfires, flooding and cyber attacks. Senior officials and military figures have even been flagging the risk of a strike by Russia.

However, critics accused the Government of giving “bossy lectures” and “encouraging panic” while failing to ramp up spending on Britain’s defence.

At the Labour conference last month, Rayner was asked what she would pack in a so-called “disaster bag” for emergencies.

She replied: “Mascara, concealer… I don’t know, a bottle of sauvignon blanc.

“A tin of baked beans because you’ve got to have some baked beans. I like a good tin of custard as well.

“So I think that will keep me going for a while.”

But quizzed today if wine would also be part of his emergency box, Burnham said: “I’m not sure that that’s the top of the list in terms of the advice that we’re giving to the public...<<<Read More>>>...

Miliband Forces Wind Firms to Back Unions or Lose Subsidies

 Ed Miliband has forced wind power companies to support trade unions by threatening to cut their subsidies. The Telegraph has the story.

Dozens of businesses supplying the offshore wind industry have been pressured into adopting pro-union rules after the Energy Secretary warned he would reduce their access to taxpayer funds unless they complied.

It means the companies will be required to meet certain requirements in the Employment Rights Act months before they are rolled out nationwide, including a new right for trade unions to enter their workplaces.

They will also have to provide unions with information identifying “major contractors” across the supply chain where “reasonably practicable”, and actively engage representatives in projects that concern them.

At least 37 companies have agreed to the commitments set out in Miliband’s new Offshore Wind Fair Work Charter – after the Government threatened to block their applications for clean energy subsidies if they failed to comply.

The Tories accused Miliband of risking an increase in energy bills by “effectively forcing the offshore wind industry to accept unionisation”.

In its flagship Employment Rights Act, passed last year, Labour introduced several measures aimed at boosting the presence of trade unions in the workplace.

The new rules, which were Angela Rayner’s pet project before her resignation from the Cabinet, will include a “statutory right of access”, forcing bosses to let unions into their offices, and a duty on firms to inform workers of their right to join a union when they start a new job....<<<Read More>>>...

Rayner’s Workers’ Rights Reforms Trigger Surge in Legal Claims

 Britain is facing a surge in people taking their employers to court, with claims up 55% year on year, following Angela Rayner’s sweeping workers’ rights reforms. The Telegraph has the story.

Employment claims increased by 55% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, new official figures show.

It comes after Labour’s Employment Rights Act obtained Royal Assent in December. It represents the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in over a decade, giving employees new protections over statutory sick pay, unfair dismissal and zero-hours contracts.

The overhaul – which was championed by the former deputy prime minister – has been praised by unions, with the Trades Union Congress claiming that Labour is delivering “vital common-sense reforms for millions of people across the country”.

However, it threatens to pile more pressure on employment tribunals which are already facing an influx of claims.

Jo Mackie, Employment Law Partner at Michelmores, said: “The increase in claims will happen as employment rights are spoken about more openly as they have been in the last two years during preparation for legal changes.”

Many of the reforms under the Employment Rights Act are still in secondary legislation.

Mackie said growing discussion of these reforms meant that “more people [will] become aware of practices that may be in breach of employment law”.

Imogen Finnegan, Senior Consultant with workplace and commercial disputes law firm Bellevue Law, warned that the recent explosion in employment claims risked resulting in “longer timelines, increased costs and prolonged uncertainty” for employers.

She said this could also delay tribunal decisions for employees with genuine claims....<<<Read More>>>...

BREAKING: Rayner Resigns

 Ms Rayner is understood to be leaving her post as Deputy PM after Sir Laurie Magnus delivered his verdict to Keir Starmer.

The crucial moment came after furious lawyers accused Ms Rayner of trying to make them “scapegoats” for her underpaying tens of thousands of pounds in stamp duty.

Ms Rayner’s hold on her job had been looking increasingly tenuous after Sir Keir refused to rule out sacking her yesterday, insisting he would “act” on the findings from Sir Laurie. 

The departure is another massive blow for the PM, already struggling to stabilise his government after a torrid summer of immigration protests. 

She also appears to have resigned as deputy Labour leader – a separate elected post – triggering what could be a deeply divisive contest. 

The PM’s official spokesman confirmed that Sir Keir has now received the report from Sir Laurie. 

“The Prime Minister will read it and act upon it. He has a reputation for being comprehensive and quick,” the spokesman said. 

Senior figures have spent the past few days rallying around Ms Rayner since her extraordinary admission that she had failed to pay enough stamp duty....<<<Read More>>>...

Rayner Backs Down in Islamophobia Free Speech Row

 Angela Rayner has backed down on “secretive” plans for a new definition of Islamophobia, expanding and extending a public consultation on the proposals, after the Free Speech Union threatened legal action. The Telegraph has more.

The Deputy Prime Minister has expanded and extended a public consultation over the proposals, which critics fear will rubber-stamp a controversial definition.

The consultation will now run for an extra week and a link for responses to the plans has been made public.

The move followed complaints by the Free Speech Union (FSU), which said the new definition was being drawn up behind closed doors.

The FSU wrote to Ms Rayner expressing concern that the process would enshrine a definition which treats Islamophobia as a type of racism.

The definition has been criticised for being so expansive that it could threaten free speech, act as a de facto blasphemy law and stifle legitimate criticism of Islam as a religion.

In his letter, Lord Young, the General Secretary of the FSU, said the consultation questions appeared to be “heavily weighted” in favour of a “predetermined outcome”, endorsing a definition “closely aligned” with that put forward by the all party parliamentary group (APPG) on British Muslims.

The APPG definition was adopted by Labour and stated that “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness”.

Lord Young said key groups that might challenge the definition over its impact on free speech and provide alternative views had not been invited to submit evidence.

He listed Christian Concern, the Christian Institute, the Adam Smith Institute and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Ms Rayner’s department has extended the deadline to July 20th and widened the consultees. Lord Young said it needed to give sufficient time to take on board all the responses to the plan