From

Closing summary

As we await the results of the first round of the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election, here is a summary of some of the main political developments today:

• The chancellor, John Healey, has confirmed that the autumn budget will be delivered on 28 October

Healey emphasised the need for “fiscal credibility” and said that the Treasury would “abide by the fiscal rules, ensuring we retain a buffer to protect us against uncertainty and the impact of instability in the Middle East”.

Elsewhere:

• The PM has backed stronger regulation of the funeral home sector after the jailing of a disgraced funeral boss

• Planning permission for a Chinese “super-embassy” has been upheld at the High Court after a challenge from a residents’ association was dismissed

• Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman has suggested that men should be banned from running to become the party’s next leader

For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.

Key events

• 3m ago

  Closing summary

• 3h ago

  Andy Burnham signals he will scrap plans to curb jury trials

• 3h ago

  Autumn budget to be delivered on 28 October, chancellor confirms

• 4h ago

  Lowest turnout since first Greater Manchester mayoral election

• 4h ago

  PM backs stronger regulation of funeral home sector after jailing of disgraced funeral boss

• 6h ago

  Burnham calls on Fifa president to resign over World Cup sell-off plans

• 6h ago

  Mayors given fast-track route to build new trams and transport links, transport secretary says

• 7h ago

  Chinese super embassy planning permission decision upheld at High Court

• 8h ago

  BP puts North Sea oil and gas business up for sale

• 8h ago

  Harriet Harman suggests men should be banned from running for the next Labour leader

• 9h ago

  Diane Abbott and Joani Reid readmitted as Labour MPs

• 9h ago

  Tax rebates 'not possible at the moment' under devolution reforms, minister says

• 9h ago

  Andy Burnham to set out devolution plan amid criticism it won't benefit regions equally

The count is still ongoing at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, as we await a result from the first preference voting.

In the meantime, here are some photos for those of you that enjoy seeing the democratic process in action…

It was reported earlier that Andy Burnham has indicated he could drop a plan to restrict jury trials.

During Keir Starmer’s premiership, ministers unveiled a proposal to reserve jury trials for the most serious cases such as murder and rape and offences with a likely sentence of more than three years in prison.

Now Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, has called for the government to “move quickly to set out a comprehensive, whole-system plan” to address court backlogs, warning the system was “under immense pressure”.

He added:

double quotation markThis should include sustained investment in people, infrastructure and technology.

Any efforts to reduce court backlogs must not come at the expense of fundamental safeguards.

Jury trials must be protected to ensure public confidence in our justice system.

Sky News is reporting that there is “slow progress” being made in the count at the Co-Op Arena, Manchester.

If no one candidate secures 50% of the vote, it will go to a second round of voting – which means it will be a late one.

All recent polling suggest Labour’s Bev Craig will win the highest number of votes but not 50%.

But, given that the Greens will likely be eliminated in third place, most second preference votes under this system seem likely to switch to Labour, rather than Reform.

The Manchester Evening News is reporting that the first round result from the Greater Manchester mayoral election will come in at about 4pm.

Stick with us as we are monitoring for any breaking updates.

Andy Burnham signals he will scrap plans to curb jury trials

Josh Halliday

Andy Burnham has indicated he will scrap plans to curtail jury trials in England and Wales, abandoning one of the most significant overhauls from Keir Starmer’s government.

The prime minister said he had concerns about the proposals and that his instinct was to keep juries at the heart of the justice system.

Speaking at a community centre in Sheffield on Friday, Burnham said he was reluctant to do away with jury trials due to his experience campaigning for justice over the Hillsborough disaster.

“I have my concerns about the plan to restrict a jury trial, partly from my personal experience, particularly in Hillsborough,” he said. “So I want to really look in detail at that proposal, and my instincts are that we need to find ways of not reducing access to jury trial.” You can read the full story here:

Autumn budget to be delivered on 28 October, chancellor confirms

The chancellor, John Healey, said he will deliver his first budget on 28 October, which he promises will meet Labour’s existing “fiscal rules” and “give businesses and families some of the stability they need to plan for the future”.

Healey wrote to the chair of the Treasury committee, Meg Hillier, to confirm the date. “This will be a Budget that moves power and money out of Westminster, into every postcode in Britain,” the former defence secretary wrote.

“Fiscal credibility is the bedrock of economic stability and national security. That is why we will abide by the fiscal rules, ensuring we retain a buffer to protect us against uncertainty and the impact of instability in the Middle East.”

Healey will need to make tough choices and reveal details about how he will fund the government’s latest policy announcements, including cuts to VAT on electricity bills and business rates for pubs, as well as commitments to increase defence spending.

He took up his position at a time of soaring energy prices from the US-Israel war on Iran, inflationary pressures and sluggish growth across the UK economy.

Josh Halliday

The Guardian’s north of England editor, Josh Halliday, has looked into Labour’s expected electoral fortunes in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection race – and how the voting system could work in the party’s favour. Here is an extract from his analysis piece:

double quotation markThe byelection is taking place under the supplementary voting system, which means that if no single party achieves 50% then second-choice preferences will come into play.

Labour is widely seen as having an advantage under this system as it is more likely to be picked as the second choice for Green, Lib Dem and even some Conservative voters. Reform UK, by contrast, cannot count on such broad support.

The More in Common poll found that Labour’s lead would stretch to 30 points if Reform UK finished second, as Craig is the most popular second choice for most Greens and a sizeable chunk of Conservatives.

Anything short of a strong second-place finish would be a blow to Reform UK, which won more than 100 seats in Greater Manchester in the May elections, including all but one of the 25 up for grabs in Wigan – the council of Burnham’s new constituency – and 18 out of 19 in Tameside, both once solidly Labour areas.

One senior Labour figure said the party expected to do much better in these areas in the mayoral byelection, having won back voters who backed Reform UK only two months ago in what many saw as a protest vote against Keir Starmer.

Lowest turnout since first Greater Manchester mayoral election

Counting is under way in the byelection to choose Andy Burnham’s successor as Greater Manchester mayor. Polling stations closed at 22:00pm last night, with the count taking place from 09:00am this morning. We are expecting a result early this afternoon.

As of 14.05pm on Friday, the turnout was revealed as being 25.14%, with 538,659 votes cast from an electorate of more than two million people.

The turnout was the lowest on record for a mayoral role in the region, reflecting widespread voter apathy and disillusion with politcians. At the 2024 election, the turnout was 32%, in 2021 it was 34% and about 28% in 2017 when the first Greater Manchester mayoral election took place.

The contest was triggered by Burnham’s election to parliament last month, after he was elected as the new MP for Makerfield on 18 June, winning 55% of the historic vote.

Polling ahead of Thursday’s vote suggested Labour candidate Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester city council, was on course to win by a comfortable margin.

Her main rival is likely to be either Reform UK’s Sian Astley or the Green party’s Geraldine Coggins. Other candidates were Phil Eckersley (Conservatives), Richard Kilpatrick (Lib Dems), Marlon West (Restore Britain) and Marcus Farmer (Independent).

PM backs stronger regulation of funeral home sector after jailing of disgraced funeral boss

The government has announced a crack down on rogue funeral operators in order to better protect bereaved families after Robert Bush’s sentencing.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will work alongside other departments, including the Ministry of Justice, to develop proposals to improve regulatory standards in the funeral sector. In a press release, the DHSC said:

double quotation markAs part of this work, the Law Commission will undertake a review of the criminal law in relation to the deceased, consider any gaps in existing legal protections and make recommendations on the creation of new offences, if they are needed.

For bereaved families, there can be few things more painful than knowing a loved one was not treated properly after they died. The deceased cannot speak for themselves, which is why clear safeguards, stronger oversight and consistent standards are needed to protect their dignity and give families the reassurance they deserve.

During a visit to Sheffield on Friday, the prime minister said he backed the regulation of funeral homes and mortuaries as he extended his sympathies to the families of victims of the disgraced funeral director Robert Bush, who was jailed for 20 years this afternoon for offences carried out at his business, Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

“I do back those calls, and there were recommendations in the Fuller Report that will be implemented because we have seen appalling situations like this before,” Burnham said, in reference to the official inquiry into the double killer David Fuller, who was found to have abused more than 100 bodies in an NHS mortuary over a 12-year period.

“I feel for the families and I know it’ll be a difficult day for them with these matters in court again,” the prime minister added. “I was truly horrified when I heard what had happened. Appalling for any family to go through that. This needs a proper response in terms of the regulation needed, to make sure no family goes through that again.”

“People, I think, would assume that the highest standards apply to this area and we’ve got to make sure that they do apply and that there can’t be any repeat of what we’ve seen.”

Priya Bharadia

A funeral director has been jailed for 20 years for leaving dozens of bodies – including a miscarried baby – “rotting” in his mortuary and giving bereaved families the wrong ashes.

Robert Bush, the owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Services in Hull, pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of families, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial.

Over a five-day sentencing hearing at Hull crown court, more than 80 victims recounted their horror at learning their loved ones had been left “rotting away” inside his funeral parlour. Many broke down sobbing during their statements.

Sentencing Bush, the judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, said: “The defendant was so preoccupied with his own enrichment that he behaved in a shocking and disgraceful way towards the deceased.

“The awful truth is that anyone whose loved one went through Legacy at any time when it was operating can now have no confidence as to how they were treated or whose ashes they have. Unless, of course, they were one of the 30 bodies recovered in March 2024.

“Culpability is of course high because of the gross breach of trust in respect of people who were vulnerable as they were bereaved.”

Zoe Wood

The price of petrol has hit a new Iran War high at UK forecourts, adding to the financial pressure on millions of households about to embark on their annual holiday.

The RAC said that in “very unwelcome news for drivers” the average pump price had reached 160p a litre, reversing the drop down to 151p in early July that followed the announcement of a fragile Middle East ceasefire.

That is the highest level since November 2022, when prices were soaring in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Andy Burnham said the government had offered help to Spain tackling a surge of migrants crossing from Morocco into its Ceuta enclave.

The crisis was “a matter for the Spanish government first and foremost, but it is a cause for concern,” Burnham told reporters.

“And we are making contact with the Spanish government, the Spanish authorities, to provide support but also to understand the implications of that situation.”

Burnham calls on Fifa president to resign over World Cup sell-off plans

Josh Halliday

Andy Burnham has called on the Fifa president Gianni Infantino to resign over his “outrageous” plans to sell a stake in the World Cup.

Asked about the Fifa proposals during a visit to a community centre in Sheffield on Friday, the prime minister said:

“My view is strengthening – this was an outrageous suggestion. The idea that it could even be brought forward, in my view, shows that the Fifa general secretary is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”

When told the Fifa president was sticking to its plans despite a furious backlash from Uefa and other membership bodies, Burnham said: “Oh wow. Have they actually done that? Oh wow.”

Mayors given fast-track route to build new trams and transport links, transport secretary says

The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has said mayors will be given a fast-track route to build new tramways, roads and light rail in their local areas.

Large transport projects put forward by local leaders need to have Department for Transport approval before they are built.

The cost threshold at which mayors need to seek approval was set at £200m – but Alexander says this will increase to £500m, which will mean mayors can bypass the queue for Whitehall approval on their projects if they cost less than half a billion pounds. These could include tram schemes, metro extensions and station upgrades.

“Today we’re giving local leaders more power to shape transport in their community,” the transport secretary wrote in a post on X.

“Locally funded transport schemes up to £500m no longer need Whitehall approval, meaning fewer projects get bogged down by bureaucracy, and you get the services that make your life easier.”

The new threshold was announced as Andy Burnham unveiled plans to let mayors use a share of the income tax and business rates raised in their areas as part of his devolution push (see opening post for more details).

As we reported in an earlier post, the long-serving Labour MP Diane Abbott has been let back into the party after she was suspended last July after repeating comments about racism for which she had previously apologised.

In a statement posted to X late last night, the MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington said: “Today, following a process conducted in line with party rules and approved by the independent review process I have been readmitted to the Labour party.

“I have been issued with a formal warning for a tweet I previously posted. By inadvertently referring to the Israeli Defence Force as the ‘Jewish Defence Force’, I used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community. I am deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation and apologise for any hurt caused by it.”

Abbott was first stripped of the Labour whip in April 2023 after writing a letter to the Observer in which she argued that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experienced prejudice rather than racism. As my colleague notes in this story, she apologised and withdrew the remarks, saying an earlier draft had mistakenly been submitted for publication.

She was readmitted to Labour before the 2024 general election but in a BBC interview last year she defended her original remarks. Seperately, in July 2025, Abbott, 72, referred to the Israel Defense Forces as the “Jewish Defence Force” in a social media post she published. She was given her second suspension last summer, which meant she was forced to sit as an independent MP instead of a Labour one.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest body representing British Jews, reacted to Abbott’s readmission to Labour in a statement posted on social media.

“This is an early test of resolve for the Burnham administration,” the group’s president, Phil Rosenberg, said. “It is hard to conceive of the whip being restored unless there is clear and sustained evidence of genuine remorse”, he said, adding that an “unequivocal recognition that antisemitism is racism” is also needed.