Andy Burnham has officially become Prime Minister.
After it was announced last month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
Earlier in July, the former Greater Manchester Mayor delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to take the country in a ‘new direction’.
He declared that he wanted to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster.
Last week, he was then officially named leader of the Labour Party after the backing of 322 other Labour MPs, and now it’s official… the UK has a new Prime Minister.
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Sir Keir Starmer officially stood down and gave his final speech this morning, and after meeting with King Charles III to form a new Government, Andy Burnham appeared outside the doors of Number 10 just after midday as the new Prime Minister for the first time.
“I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me,” Burnham said in his speech as he addressed the media and the millions watching at home.
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Andy Burnham’s first speech as Prime Minister in full
“I have just come from Buckingham Palace, where I have accepted His Majesty the King’s invitation to form a Government. In doing so, I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street, the seventh Prime Minister since 2016, making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.
“It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game, and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better.
“I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you. And I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. “We will be. We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years. A new political model and a new economic model.
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“In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised, and they still haven’t recovered.
“Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around. And that’s why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.
“We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more. And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again. Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry.
“Later this year, I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.
“But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living, and I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.
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“We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support. And we will build more Council homes. That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down, to meet our fiscal rules, and to honour our commitments on defence to our international partners.
“We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people’s success, rather than paying for failure. And that work starts now. I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction – to end rough sleeping in our country.
“It’s about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of Government. I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.
“I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me. Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again. The moment we bring back hope.
“Thank you very much everybody.”
Featured Image – BBC (via YouTube)
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Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
RSPCA appeals after French bulldog found dead in Oldham canal
Daisy Jackson
The RSPCA has launched an appeal for information after finding a French Bulldog dead in a canal in Oldham.
The dog was discovered by a dog walker earlier this week, floating in the middle of a canal in Chadderton.
The French Bulldog was wearing a pink-red lead and matching collar, which were wrapped around his head and front leg.
He did not have a microchip, but the charity is hoping his lead might help him to be identified.
The dog was found at around 12.20pm on Monday 5 October on a section of the canal near Middleton Road.
The harness and lead the French bulldog was found wearing in the canal. Credit: RSPCA
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Beth Fazackerley said: “This was an incredibly upsetting incident for the member of the public who made this distressing discovery, and it is heartbreaking that this poor dog was found in such circumstances.
“We are keen to establish what happened, and would urge anyone who was in the area around Middleton Road at midday, on October 5, and may have information about what happened, to get in touch.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA appeals line on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident number 01919098.
Emily Sergeant -
20th July 2026 
