Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated it is 'inconceivable' Russia did not attempt to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He made the remarks while facing questions from Members of Parliament, but emphasised he was not challenging the legitimacy of the vote itself. The comments underscore persistent concerns regarding foreign influence operations targeting democratic processes in the UK.
Labour's Makerfield by-election candidate, Andy Burnham, stated that UK net migration 'needs to fall further' following new government figures showing a near halving since 2024. He noted that voters in his constituency had 'raised their concerns about immigration', and expressed support for the broad direction of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposals to tighten settlement rules.
Standard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters has issued an apology after referring to employees whose roles are susceptible to AI replacement as 'lower value human capital' during a recent conference. Winters's comments, made while discussing anticipated job reductions due to automation, have drawn criticism, prompting him to clarify his stance and express regret for the wording.
