Andy Burnham has been given the green light to stand in the Makerfield by-election. If he can win a seat against the electoral tide, with Reform having made huge gains there weeks ago, he will have the right to be heard. It will not be easy. But the by-election is weeks away and Burnham is not yet even a candidate, let alone a leader. Meanwhile, we cannot afford a government distracted by speculation about who sits in Downing Street.
Labour came to power with a mandate to change Britain for the better. People are still waiting to feel that change. The NHS needs fixing. Household bills are still punishing. Reform is circling. This is no time for internal noise – it is the moment for Labour to show it deserves the public’s trust. Keir Starmer has the ability and the determination to deliver. For the foreseeable future, he and the party need to get on with the job.
E-bike torment
Gloria Stephenson lost her life because the growing e-bike scourge in Britain is spiralling out of control. High on cannabis and on the phone while riding a defective, illegal bike with faulty brakes, Billy Stokoe ploughed into a much-loved great-grandmother before fleeing the scene. These machines are increasingly terrorising streets, pavements and parks. Too many are illegally modified for speed, uninsured and ridden with total contempt for public safety.
They are marketed like toys but, in reckless hands, they are like motorbikes without rules. Police and ministers must stop treating this as a nuisance issue. Without tougher enforcement, more innocent people will pay the price for lawless riding and unchecked stupidity.
Net a fortune
Sir David Beckham used to break nets, now he is breaking financial records. Decades after conquering the pitch, Goldenballs has outlasted trends, critics and careers and turned smart investments into an extraordinary second-half performance.
