Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is studying Donald Trump's political methods to counter the rise of the populist right, particularly Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Burnham aims to channel outsider anger and connect with working-class voters who feel neglected by elites, while focusing on devolution and cost-of-living issues. He has been catapulted into power by his colleagues, who fear being wiped out at the next general election after months of missteps and scandals under outgoing premier Keir Starmer. Burnham's political success depends on his ability to turn Britain away from the wave of nationalist populism that gave the world Donald Trump. He has been clear for years about the party's task: If Labour fails, British politics are in danger of following the United States and electing the most right-wing government it has ever seen. Burnham never misses the chance to portray himself as an outsider from the working-class former industrial areas in the North of England. He regularly posts selfie videos that are often light-hearted and chatty in style, as he presents an informal image designed to show voters he is just like them. Burnham has said he wants a more consensual style of politics, working with rival parties on the left and the right to find solutions, instead of scoring political points. But the biggest risk for him seems to be that impatient voters won't be prepared to wait for the culture to shift before seeing results. Perhaps Burnham has already learned from Trump that he needs to make an instant impact when he takes over, in the way the president did at the start of his second term this year.

Background: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on June 24, 2026, after losing support from his parliamentary party, triggering a leadership contest with Andy Burnham as frontrunner. European leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz, have publicly expressed regret over Starmer's departure, with whom they had built strong cooperation. His successor Andy Burnham, a former Manchester mayor, is largely unknown in foreign policy circles and has focused on domestic policy without articulating a foreign policy stance, raising concerns about continuity of UK leadership on Ukraine support and transatlantic relations. A planned UK-EU summit scheduled for July 22 in Brussels has been postponed indefinitely as Brussels faces a 'blank page' in rebuilding relations.

Lord James Timpson, appointed as UK prisons minister in July 2024, resigned on Monday. His tenure included overseeing an early release scheme to alleviate overcrowding and efforts to improve prison conditions. In his resignation statement, seen by the BBC, he highlighted reductions in self-harm and violence, better prison and probation performance, and the creation of the Women's Justice Board. He did not give a specific reason for resigning, but sources indicate he felt he had accomplished what he could. Critics note ongoing issues with overcrowding, violence, and drug use in prisons, as well as overworked probation officers. His departure leaves the Ministry of Justice preparing for the upcoming Sentencing Act 2026, which will take effect in September and expand early release and community sentencing.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues in England, saving the average pub over £1,000 annually. The measure, funded by reducing tax relief for vape shops and gambling arcades, is the third major cost-of-living policy in three days, following a VAT cut on electricity and a bus fare cap. Hospitality groups welcomed the move but called for broader tax reform, while critics questioned its funding and scope.

Data from the UK Office for National Statistics indicates that British businesses are not increasing their use of artificial intelligence, suggesting a plateau in AI adoption across the economy. This has implications for productivity and competitiveness. The latest data confirms that UK businesses are not deepening their AI adoption, reinforcing the plateau trend and raising ongoing concerns about productivity and competitiveness.

The 2026 Farnborough Airshow in England will highlight European defense sovereignty, the GCAP fighter jet program, and the growing role of drones in modern warfare. Ukraine's battle-tested drone solutions will be a major draw, attracting significant interest from industrial players. Boeing will showcase its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone, developed with the Royal Australian Air Force, and has partnered with Rheinmetall to integrate it into the German Air Force by 2029. The event reflects Europe's accelerated push for autonomy amid US unpredictability and the war in Ukraine.

The British consulate in Jerusalem had its X account suspended on Sunday shortly after posting a thread, jointly with other diplomatic missions, criticizing Israel's use of administrative detention against Palestinians. The thread highlighted the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyah, a Palestinian pediatrician held without charge since December 2024, and called on Israel to uphold human rights obligations. The UK Foreign Office is working with X to restore the account, raising questions about platform moderation and diplomatic speech.

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have developed a low-cost, 3D-printed flow battery that uses iron instead of expensive vanadium, drastically reducing costs. The design costs approximately £74 and has been made freely available to the global research community via an Ikea-style instruction manual to standardize testing and accelerate renewable energy storage technology critical for achieving net-zero emissions. The team is now scaling up the technology by testing larger stacks of printed cells for industrial applications.