Andy Burnham received £20,000 from unions as the Mayor of Greater Manchester began to bolster support for a leadership bid.
Three Labour-affiliated unions, all of which called on Sir Keir Starmer to step aside last Friday, handed over tens of thousands of pounds to the Labour candidate for Makerfield between March 24 and April 24.
They said Sir Keir would be forced out of No10 “at some point” and urged the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.
Mr Burnham received £10,000 on March 24 from the Fire Brigades Union, another £5,000 on April 10 from the Communication Workers Union and a final £5,000 from Unison on April 24.
The last donation from Unison is understood to help bankroll some of the party’s wider local election costs across the borough – rather than specifically to boost Mr Burnham.
Back in December, its General Secretary, Andrea Egan, declared herself to be a “fan” of the Mayor and added: “I mean, he’s King of the North.”
Mr Burnham did not receive a donation from the unions in the two years beforehand.
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Angela Rayner denies involvement after five arrested over electoral fraud claims in her constituency
Angela Rayner has strongly denied involvement after five people were arrested as part of an investigation into alleged offences committed in the lead up to the local elections.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed earlier today four men and a woman, aged between 23 and 47, were arrested this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in the former deputy Prime Minister’s Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
The force said it had received reports of concerns about candidates in the St Peter’s ward of Tameside council in the days before and after the election on May 7.
Online newspaper The Mill reported the arrests followed its investigation into claims that fake independent candidates were put forward in a bid to split the vote, with one discussion about the scheme allegedly taking place in Ms Rayner’s kitchen.
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UK borrowing costs surge to higher-than-expected £24.3billion as Rachel Reeves faces ‘financial strain’
UK borrowing costs surged to a higher-than-expected £24.3billion last month, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This represents the second-highest April level on record for borrowing, as economists warn Chancellor Rachel Reeves has an uphill battle in improving the economy.
Based on today’s ONS figures, borrowing for April 2025 was a quarter higher, or £4.9 billion, than the year before.
Notably, last month’s figures were £3.4billion more than the £20.£ billion projected by the the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
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