Andy Burnham latest: PM-in-waiting vows billions in ‘critical’ defence spending to be targeted at UK firms

Parliament’s foreign affairs committee wants to be given the power to veto political appointments to top diplomatic posts after the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson’s role as ambassador to Washington.

MPs on the committee said there were still unanswered questions over Mandelson’s appointment and that documents showed a “dismissive view” about the need for security clearance.

They are pushing for reforms to security vetting and due diligence, including for public appointments not to be made before vetting is completed.

Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to the US in September 2025 after leaked emails that showed the peer sent supportive messages to late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences.

In April, it emerged that Foreign Office civil servants granted the peer developed vetting clearance despite the recommendation that this be denied.

Andy Burnham has announced that he wants billions of pounds of additional defence spending to go into British businesses.

As prime minister, he would aim to support British jobs and British workers by relying on the UK for equipment rather than American or European companies.

Writing in The Times, he said his priority would be “protecting the UK by boosting defence spending, reviving local industry and strengthening our alliances.”

He added that he also wanted to be “more open with the public about how and where defence funding is spent.

“We will take a new approach to regenerating and reindustrialising the country, and thereby strengthening its resilience.

“ That same approach will consider foreign policy, economic policy, security, social cohesion and British values as inextricably linked elements of the same strategic question.”

Shabana Mahmood will set out plans on Monday to amend a 1971 law that prevents the removal of Shabir Ahmed, 73, from the UK.

Ahmed was released last week after serving 14 years since his conviction in 2012 for rape and sexual offences against girls, some as young as 12. He had been sentenced to 19 years in prison.

According to The Telegraph, which first reported Ms Mahmood’s plans, it is not clear whether the changes will come under separate fast-tracked legislation or as an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is due to be debated in the Commons on Monday.

Home Office minister Alex Norris indicated earlier this week that the government could consider emergency legislation.

Ahmed is currently exempt from deportation but Mr Norris said the government would not give up in its efforts to deport him due to his “heinous” crimes.

The 1971 law forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.

Veteran ex-BBC reporter Martin Bell says voters will rally behind the right independent candidate:

Police are investigating a political donation of nearly £40,000 made to Robert Jenrick’s campaign to become Conservative Party leader.

The Newark MP ran to succeed Rishi Sunak as Tory leader in 2024 and lost to Kemi Badenoch. He has since defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, where he is the Treasury spokesman.

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the origins of a donation after a referral from the Electoral Commission, The i Paper reports.

The money in question is a portion of a £100,000 donation from British entrepreneur Phillip Ullmann, via a company called Spott Fitness, to Mr Jenrick’s leadership campaign.

There have been allegations that £37,500 of it ultimately came from a foreign source – US businessman Gary Klopfenstein – in breach of UK electoral rules.

Mr Jenrick rejected the allegations, saying they were “entirely false”.

A spokesman for the Reform UK MP dismissed the suggestion that he knowingly accepted impermissible donations as an “untrue, politically motivated smear”.

He said: “Mr Ullman was introduced to Robert by a Tory MP, and had his donations’ permissibility checked by the party.

“Robert and his campaign team complied with all electoral laws when receiving the donation received from Spott Fitness Ltd in 2024.”

Nigel Farage wants the by-election in Clacton to take place on the earliest date possible, on August 6.

Reform UK said it would propose that date when it launches the parliamentary process to trigger the contest tomorrow.

The House of Commons library sets out that a by-election cannot take place for at least 21 working days after a writ is issued.

This Friday will count as day one, and 21 days after that come to Friday 31 July. The first Thursday – elections are always held on Thursdays – after that is 6 August.

The last remaining potential rival to Andy Burnham as the next Labour leader and prime minister says he will not stand against the new Makerfield MP.

Former defence minister Al Carns has told Sky’s The Cathy Newman Show he will back Burnham instead.

He said: “The time right now is not for a contest.”

If no other challengers come forward, Mr Burnham will become Labour leader next Friday.