Labour

Home secretary speeds up major part of bill governing asylum and refugees as new prime minister set to take overShabana Mahmood will seek to shore up support for her controversial immigration bill on the progressive left of Labour, as she sets out plans to speed up the opening of new safe and legal routes that will permit thousands of refugees to come to the UK.The home secretary, who is the leading contender to stay in her job if Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, will next week introduce the legislation, which will also set new limits on immigration claims on human rights grounds and under modern slavery law.Removing modern slavery protections for any foreign national who has committed a crime and received a sentence, scrapping the previous 12-month threshold.Rejecting last-minute modern slavery claims where an objection could have been raised earlier or where there is evidence of false documentation.Allowing immigration claims to be brought under the right to a family life only if the family member is a parent, spouse or child under 18 except in exceptional circumstances.A new test to make clear that deporting foreign national offenders is in the public interest and should only be blocked in the most exceptional circumstances. Applications for family reunion under the right to a family life will in future have to be brought by a UK-based sponsor, not the overseas family member.Giving every trafficked and exploited child a dedicated independent guardian to support their safeguarding and recovery. Continue reading...

• The European Central Bank (ECB) is utilizing restructuring announcements via the Employment Restructuring Monitor (ERM) to track labor market developments across the euro area. • Data indicates that Germany and France are the primary drivers of these trends, together accounting for approximately 40% of all recorded restructuring events. • Lower event numbers in Spain and Italy are attributed to a smaller proportion of their total employment being concentrated within larger firms.

Debate in Labour and union movement over climate commitments as many call for Burnham not to allow drilling in North SeaAnalysis: ‘Act on the evidence outside the window’: Andy Burnham urged to stick to net zero targets if he becomes PMBacksliding on climate action would drive the Labour party into political obscurity, Zack Polanski has warned, as trade union leaders said more drilling in the North Sea would not help UK workers.The Green party leader, speaking to the Guardian as searing heat swept the country for the second time this year, urged Andy Burnham – widely expected to be the UK’s next prime minister – to be bold on climate justice. He said any move to water down the party’s commitments would have dire consequences at the ballot box. Continue reading...

Some worry choosing James Purnell, former Demon Eyes teammate, would show Labour struggling for new talentThe most powerful football team in the country is getting back together.Andy Burnham’s decision to appoint James Purnell as his chief of staff should he become prime minister will reunite not only two old friends and former Labour ministers but two of the linchpins of the famous Demon Eyes team set up in the late 1990s. Continue reading...

Tory leader reprimanded by speaker for invective against minister and saying Starmer had ‘400 knives in his back’Labour MPs have criticised Kemi Badenoch after a fractious prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, in which she accused the education secretary of being a “spiteful class warrior”.In a rare move, Badenoch was chastised by the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, in the chamber of the House of Commons after she took the personal swipe at Bridget Phillipson before saying that Keir Starmer had been betrayed and had “400 knives stuck in his back”. Continue reading...

Chief secretary to PM says he had been ‘reassured’ about Burnham’s economic plans after conversation with himDarren Jones has ruled himself out of running for the Labour leadership after a conversation with Andy Burnham.Speaking to Sky News, the chief secretary to the prime minister said he had been “reassured” about Burnham’s economic plans after their conversation on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of Labor has intensified its crackdown on unemployment insurance fraud, while the Senate prepares to restructure the composition of the National Labor Relations Board. • The Justice Department and the Teamsters are revisiting a 1989 agreement originally designed to eliminate organized crime influence within the union. • These developments reflect a broader strategy by the Trump administration to foster closer ties with organized labor, specifically the Teamsters, following the 2024 election.