Burnham has 'no mandate' to agree EU deal without an election, Farage says

Andy Burnham has “no mandate” to negotiate a deal with the EU without a general election, Nigel Farage has said. Burnham called for an “honest discussion” about a return to free movement with the EU over the weekend, but No 10 today insisted he has not set out a “concrete position” on the topic. “He is saying that it’s time for us to discuss what kind of long-term relationship with Europe is best for Britain and he is referring to the types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover,” the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said.

Delivering a speech in London today, Farage said: “I would say to the Prime Minister, as the Brussels [EU] summit of the 20th of November gets ever closer, that he has no mandate whatsoever to agree anything in that summit.” The Reform added: “None of this legitimately can be done from a democratic perspective without a general election.” Follow The i Paper’s live blog for the latest updates. Burnham has ‘no mandate’ to agree EU deal without general election, Farage says Two-thirds of Britons fear their taxes will rise at Budget, poll shows No EU freedom of movement without a referendum, Burnham says PM rules out return to EU single market and free movement in this Parliament Budget prediction: Another round of early election speculation Sort: Newest first Oldest first October 26, 2026 6:45 pm The live blog is now closed We’re pausing our coverage for today.

Thank you for joining us. We’ll be back with you in the morning. Here’s a recap of this evening’s developments, and our earlier recap has a full picture of the day’s events: Andy Burnham has sparked Cabinet anger after he opened the door to a debate on a return to freedom of movement with the European Union, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said to be “furious” at not being told in advance of his comments. Mahmood has criticised Sally Rooney after the author said she would donate the proceeds from her books to the banned protest group Palestine Action.

The Chancellor will announce a near-4 per cent increase to the national living wage on Wednesday, but will slow the minimum increase for young people amid warnings that they are being priced out of work. John Healey faces calls to intervene to save the BBC from making further damaging cuts in the Budget as the broadcaster holds out hope of a World Service boost. October 26, 2026 6:35 pm Home Secretary criticises author Sally Rooney over Palestine Action comments Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has criticised Sally Rooney after the author said she would donate the proceeds from her books to banned protest group Palestine Action.

Rooney, author of Normal People, said she would no longer be able to sell her books in the UK because of her support for the group. An open letter signed by authors, artists and public figures told the Government: “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist.” Mahmood said there was “a world of difference” between enjoying the profits of selling books yourself and using them to fund a proscribed organisation. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation after a vote in the Commons in July last year.

The highly successful Irish novelist has said her publisher, Faber, will no longer supply her titles to UK retailers (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images) It made membership of, or support for, the direction-action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Rooney previously said she would donate her earnings from her books and BBC adaptations of novels to Palestine Action, which has a stated goal of “ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.

As a result, Rooney’s publisher, Faber, has determined it cannot sell her novels in Britain. The Irish author, 35, told the BBC that further publication of her work could constitute a “serious criminal offence”, so she had agreed with her publisher not to continue supplying her books to UK retailers. Speaking in the Commons on Monday, independent MP Shockat Adam said: “Sally Rooney is a writer and not a terrorist. Yet her books are being withdrawn from shelves up and down the country.

“Under a new Prime Minister, will this Government now reverse, or does the Home Secretary see any author she disagrees with as a terrorist?” Mahmood said: “He should be much more responsible about the way in which he makes his point in this chamber. “He will know that there is a world of difference between selling books and enjoying the fruits of your labour, and saying that you will use that money to fund a proscribed organisation. “That organisation was proscribed through a vote in this house.

“It’s the subject of a legal case at the moment, but all of the appropriate legal safeguards and thresholds in law were followed in that case.” October 26, 2026 6:20 pm Budget will have living wage rise, but slow rise for young people The Chancellor will announce a near-4 per cent increase to the national living wage on Wednesday, but will slow the minimum increase for young people amid warnings that they are being priced out of work. On Friday, The i Paper reported that Healey was set to pause Labour’s pledge to bring the minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds in line with their older colleagues as he struggles to find savings in the Budget.

The Times now reports that the national living wage for workers aged 21 and over is expected to rise from £12.71 to around £13.20. The national minimum wage will rise from £10.85 to around £11.27, a similar 3.9 per cent increase. October 26, 2026 6:15 pm ‘Mahmood is furious’: Cabinet anger as Burnham opens door to Brexit free movement By Caroline Wheeler, Will Hazell Andy Burnham has sparked Cabinet anger after he opened the door to a debate on a return to freedom of movement with the European Union, with the Home Secretary said to be “furious” at not being told in advance of his comments.

Shabana Mahmood and the rest of the Cabinet were not told in advance about the Prime Minister’s intervention and only learned of it after his comments were published in the Sunday Times at the weekend. One Labour insider said Mahmood was “furious”, while a Government source suggested the remarks had “undermined” her immigration strategy. Read the full story October 26, 2026 5:40 pm What the Budget could mean for the BBC Adam Sherwin Arts and Media Correspondent John Healey faces calls to intervene to save the BBC from making further damaging cuts in the Budget as the broadcaster holds out hope of a World Service boost.

Critics of the deep cuts the BBC has announced, including the closure of BBC Three, BBC Scotland and the scrapping of a swath of Radio 4 programmes, say the Chancellor must step in to help the corporation avert a financial crisis. Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said: “The decision to cut services in the areas and ways announced by the BBC are in and of themselves very concerning for anyone who cares about the vital role of journalism and the public’s right to know.

“BBC leadership should be working to secure sustainable funding from the UK government for a brighter future, rather than pursuing these incredibly damaging cuts. “Instead of drip-feeding cuts, we urge BBC management to support calls for investment to secure the broadcaster’s future. It is incumbent on the government to intervene in the Budget and back the BBC.” However Healey is very unlikely to offer the BBC a bailout. Ministers are instead in negotiation with the corporation over a new Charter which would deliver a “sustainable” funding mechanism, perhaps extending the licence fee to include a supplementary charge on streaming subscriptions.

The BBC is lobbying ministers to take funding of the World Service back into the Foreign Office. Currently the BBC pays two-thirds of the annual costs, amounting to £221m last year with the FCDO awarding a grant for the remaining sum. BBC bosses say the UK licence-fee payer should not have to pay for the World Service, which is a national “soft power” asset. In Rachel Reeves’ last Budget, she announced an increase in the government’s contribution, amounting to £33m over three years.

BBC executives are hopeful that another increase could be announced on Wednesday but have been given no indication that more money is coming. There are also hopes within the broadcasting industries that the Government will extend or enhance tax relief credits to support UK high-end TV drama and animation productions. The UK Music body is pushing for relief for music recording studios, several of which have warned they face closure due to recent business rate rises.

October 26, 2026 5:25 pm What’s been happening today? Andy Burnham has “no mandate” to negotiate a deal with the EU at the UK’s summit with the bloc next month without a general election, Nigel Farage has said. Burnham called for an “honest discussion” about a return to free movement with the EU over the weekend. He doubled down on his remarks today, but insisted a return to free movement would not be reinstated without a referendum. Meanwhile, No 10 insisted Burnham has not set out a “concrete position” on the topic.

“He is saying that it’s time for us to discuss what kind of long-term relationship with Europe is best for Britain and he is referring to the types of areas that that agreement and long-term future could cover,” the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said. Delivering a speech in London today, Farage said Burnham “has no mandate whatsoever to agree anything in that summit”. The Reform added: “None of this legitimately can be done from a democratic perspective without a general election.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking during a press conference in London today (Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA) Here’s an overview of some of today’s other key developments: The Prime Minister ruled out the prospect of the UK rejoining the EU in this Parliament. He said: “I’m not proposing rejoining in this Parliament. We’re way away from that at this particular moment in time. What I am saying is, we need to take some practical steps to make the arrangement work better.”

The Home Secretary pledged to provide answers to Henry Nowak’s family, as she announced an independent review into the student’s murder. The review will be led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk and will look at “any missed opportunities to intervene”, Shabana Mahmood told the Commons. The 18-year-old died after being fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December. Mr Nowak was handcuffed as he lay dying, after Digwa, a Sikh, falsely accused him of racial abuse.

Two-thirds of Britons – 67 per cent – are expecting their taxes to rise in the Budget, new polling found. The survey, conducted by the research agency More in Common, also revealed that a majority of people – 55 per cent – feel pessimistic about what John Healey will unveil on Wednesday, with just 17 per cent feeling optimistic. Some 51 per cent say their finances have got worse this year and middle earners are as pessimistic about the Budget as lower earners.

A total of 54 per cent expect their quality of life to get worse following Healey’s statement. Burnham doubled down on his pledge to end rough sleeping in England by Christmas. The Prime Minister hosted a summit on rough sleeping at Downing Street today with private firms, charities and local leaders. Meanwhile, Chancellor John Healey is expected to commit an extra £432 in funding towards tackling rough sleeping at the Budget this Wednesday.

The funding at the Budget will add to the £442m Burnham committed earlier this year, allowing the Government’s programme to end rough sleeping to continue until the end of the current Parliament in 2029. October 26, 2026 5:10 pm Streeting: It is ‘not clear whether tyranny or freedom will prevail’ this century It is “not yet clear whether