Greg Heffer
Verified
As seen in:
Daily Mail,
MSN,
MSN Australia,
MSN Canada,
MSN India,
MSN Ireland,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Money Canada,
MSN New Zealand,
MSN Philippines,
MSN Singapore
and
Political correspondent, @mailonline Formerly @skynews Views my own.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Greg Heffer
Andy Burnham rules out calling an early general election in the next 12 months
Andy Burnham today ruled out calling a snap general election in the next 12 months - despite the Budget fuelling speculation he could soon go to the polls. The Prime Minister insisted he was thinking 'about people' and not 'my own party and its prospects' in the wake of Chancellor John Healey setting out his economic plans. In his Budget statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Healey pushed back tough decisions on defence and welfare spending.
Andy Burnham rules out calling an early general election in the next 12 months
; ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
Farage claims he skipped the budget in the Commons as he feared another physical altercation
Nigel Farage today claimed he skipped watching the Budget in the House of Commons as he feared ending up in 'another physical altercation'. The Reform UK leader suggested his absence from Parliament for Chancellor John Healey's statement was because he had decided to 'avoid conflict'. This was after a previous 'physical altercation' with an unnamed MP in the Commons chamber at the State Opening of Parliament in May this year.
Andy Burnham rules out calling an early general election in the next 12 months
Andy Burnham today ruled out calling a snap general election in the next 12 months - despite the Budget fuelling speculation he could soon go to the polls. The Prime Minister insisted he was thinking 'about people' and not 'my own party and its prospects' in the wake of Chancellor John Healey setting out his economic plans. In his Budget statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Healey pushed back tough decisions on defence and welfare spending.
Chancellor freezes fuel duty and keeps 5p discount to provide some relief to hard-pressed drivers
Chancellor John Healey today froze fuel duty and kept the 5p discount to provide some relief to hard-pressed drivers amid soaring pump prices. Fuel duty was due to be unfrozen for the first time in 16 years, but Mr Healey has bowed to pressure to keep it at 52.95p per litre in his Budget. The 5p cut first introduced in 2022 amid the Ukraine crisis, which was only supposed to last a year, has also been extended again until July next year.
Now Zelensky hits out at Labour's delay in ramping up defence spending
Volodymyr Zelensky has taken a swipe at Labour's 'delay' in ramping up defence spending in the face of the threat from Russia The Ukrainian President, who is battling Vladimir Putin 's forces in the east and south of his country, urged Chancellor John Healey to make defence his top priority. Ahead of Mr Healey unveiling his first Budget today, Mr Zelensky said: 'Can the UK trust Russia or not? If not, defence needs to be 100 per cent the priority. 'My advice to John is don't delay. Sorry John...
Now Zelensky hits out at Labour's delay in ramping up defence spending
; ; ; Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Fresh chaos on Reform-run Staffordshire County Council as it gets a fourth leader since last May
A Reform UK-run council was today plunged into fresh chaos following another shock resignation. The leader of Staffordshire County Council has quit to leave the local authority looking for a fourth chief since last year's local elections Reform won a majority on the council in May 2025 as Nigel Farage 's party took the local authority from the Tories The victory was among a slew of breakthroughs for Reform across local government in England.
What to expect in tomorrow's budget: A banks raid and cost of living help but no welfare cuts
Greg Heffer, Political Correspondent John Healey will tomorrow unveil his first Budget as he battles with an increasingly parlous set of public finances and global economic turmoil due to the Iran war. After 101 days as Chancellor, Mr Healey will set out his fiscal plans to the House of Commons amid growing warning signs about the UK economy The Chancellor is said to be planning a 'steady-as-she-goes' Budget with some key measures to provide 'breathing space' to hard-pressed Brits.
What to expect in tomorrow's budget: A banks raid and cost of living help but no welfare cuts
John Healey will tomorrow unveil his first Budget as he battles with an increasingly parlous set of public finances and global economic turmoil due to the Iran war. After 101 days as Chancellor, Mr Healey will set out his fiscal plans to the House of Commons amid growing warning signs about the UK economy The Chancellor is said to be planning a 'steady-as-she-goes' Budget with some key measures to provide 'breathing space' to hard-pressed Brits.
Farage admits Reform need to win back voters after 'difficult summer' in speech to half-empty hall
Nigel Farage today admitted Reform UK needed to 'energise' voters again following a 'difficult summer' as he addressed a sparsely-attended party event. The Reform leader said he was 'optimistic' despite a slew of controversies in recent months, which have coincided with a slide in his party's poll ratings. The latest Ipsos survey showed Reform are now 12 percentage points behind Labour , and are also trailing the second-placed Tories by four points.
Andy Burnham's Gogglebox pal signs letter demanding PM save Jodrell Bank observatory
He might have appeared on TV's Gogglebox with the Prime Minister – but Steve Rotherham has now joined a campaign against Whitehall cuts to the science budget. The Liverpool City Region mayor is among those warning Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey against 'irreparable damage' to the UK's science capabilities. Mr Rotherham is among signatories to an open letter, addressed to Mr Healey ahead of his Budget this week, that also include physicist Brian Cox and other top scientists.
Wes Streeting warns Britain must be ready for war in 1,000 days as Russia steps up threats to NATO
Wes Streeting has warned Britain must be ready for war in little more than 1,000 days as Russia steps up its threats against NATO allies. The Defence Secretary cautioned that the UK's enemies could be 'in a position to attack' by 2030 as he urged the country to 'prepare for the worst'. The chilling message came ahead of Wednesday's Budget , at which Chancellor John Healey will reportedly unveil billions of pounds on new defence spending.
PM 'betrays British workers and jobless youngsters' by raising spectre of free movement with the EU
; ; Continue reading More for You
'I joined the Labour Party, not the benefits party': Ex-government adviser demands welfare overhaul
Lord Walker, the boss of supermarket Iceland and a Labour peer, has urged a welfare overhaul at the Budget by declaring: 'I joined the Labour Party , not the benefits party.' The 46-year-old businessman warned against 'leaving people languishing on benefits' as he called on Chancellor John Healey to help 'make work pay'. Lord Walker called for a 'meaningful cash reward for people who move from long-term benefits into a job and stay there'.
PM 'betrays British workers and jobless youngsters' by raising spectre of free movement with the EU
; ; Continue reading More for You ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
PM 'betrays British workers and jobless youngsters' by raising spectre of free movement with the EU
Andy Burnham was accused of betraying British workers and jobless youngsters as he opened the door to reviving free movement with the EU. In a major intervention, the Prime Minister signalled he is ready to suspend Labour 's Brexit 'red lines' to secure a closer deal with Brussels. Angela Rayner suggested that Labour could even take Britain back into the EU's single market without holding a referendum.
Wes Streeting warns Britain must be ready for war in 1,000 days as Russia steps up threats to NATO
The Defence Secretary cautioned that the UK's enemies could be 'in a position to attack' by 2030 as he urged the country to 'prepare for the worst'.
Labour surge to their largest poll lead since the general election
; ; ; Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Labour surge to their largest poll lead since the general election
; ; ; Continue reading More for You ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
Labour surge to their largest poll lead since the general election - with Tories ahead of Reform
Labour has surged to its largest poll lead since the 2024 general election as the party continues to enjoy a 'bounce' under Andy Burnham 's leadership. The latest Ipsos in the UK survey puts Labour on 32 per cent support, which is up five percentage points from last month. This gives Labour an eight-point lead over the Tories , who are on 24 per cent (up three points) and in second place for the first time since June last year.
Emotional Andy Burnham reacts to 'devastating' cancer diagnosis stories on Channel 4's Gogglebox
An emotional Andy Burnham is seen reacting to 'devastating' cancer diagnosis stories on tonight's special episode of Channel 4 's Gogglebox. The Prime Minister is appearing on the programme, alongside Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotherham, as part of the Stand Up To Cancer charity campaign.
Trump hails Burnham for opening up North Sea oil
; ; ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
'Andy is getting it done': Trump hails Burnham for 'opening up North Sea oil'
Donald Trump today suggested Andy Burnham will give approval to the Rosebank field as he hailed the Prime Minister for 'getting it done' and 'opening up North Sea oil'. The US President said Britain was on the path to becoming 'a very rich country' by boosting its fossil fuel production. 'Andy is getting it done', Mr Trump said, following a phone call with the PM on Friday, as he acknowledged it might be against Mr Burnham's 'liberal principle' to do so.
Nine in 10 Brits say they have taken action to try and reduce spending amid cost of living squeeze
Almost nine in 10 Brits have taken action to try and reduce their spending amid the cost of living squeeze, a new poll has shown. A Savanta survey, conducted ahead of next week's Budget , found 87 per cent have taken at least one action to try and reduce household spending in the last six months. This includes two-thirds (67 per cent) who have cut back on non-essential spending, such as eating out or socialising.
Nine in 10 Brits say they have taken action to try and reduce spending amid cost of living squeeze
Greg Heffer, Political Correspondent Almost nine in 10 Brits have taken action to try and reduce their spending amid the cost of living squeeze, a new poll has shown. A Savanta survey, conducted ahead of next week's Budget , found 87 per cent have taken at least one action to try and reduce household spending in the last six months. This includes two-thirds (67 per cent) who have cut back on non-essential spending, such as eating out or socialising.
Labour grandee Harriet Harman urges ministers to approve Rosebank oil field
Labour 's splits over North Sea oil and gas have deepened after party grandee Harriet Harman called on ministers to approve the Rosebank field. Baroness Harman, a former deputy leader of the party, urged the Government to green light the largest untapped oil field in the North Sea. A decision on Rosebank, which lies west of Shetland, is still pending despite the Government having approved the Jackdaw gas field this week.
Almost half of Brits support cutting benefits to boost defence spending
Almost half of Brits support cutting benefits in order to boost defence spending, a new poll has shown. A Savanta survey found 44 per cent are in favour of slashing welfare payments so that more cash can be given to the Armed Forces. This compares to one third (34 per cent) who oppose squeezing benefits in order to increase the Ministry of Defence budget Cutting welfare payments was one of five options for finding more money for defence that was given to voters in the poll.
Andy Burnham becomes first PM to appear on TV's Gogglebox
Andy Burnham will become the first Prime Minister to appear on Channel 4 's Gogglebox when he joins a special episode of the show tomorrow night. The PM will appear on the programme, alongside Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotherham, as part of the Stand Up To Cancer charity campaign.
Benefits spending to soar by £5.5bn next year as Burnham rejects crude cuts to welfare bill
Britain's benefits bill is set to soar by £5.5billion next year - significantly more than forecast - as Andy Burnham rejects 'crude' cuts to welfare spending. An analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that total spending on welfare would rise by around £5.5billion in 2027. That is as much as £2.2billion more than the Treasury has budgeted for, based on Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts.
Burnham urged by Labour group to sack national security adviser over wife's Palestine Action support
Andy Burnham has been urged by a Labour group to sack his national security adviser after his wife was accused of making anti-Jewish comments. Labour Against Antisemitism has written to the Prime Minister to demand that Jonathan Powell ‘resign or be sacked' as the group claims his wife, Sarah Helm, poses ‘security concerns'. Ms Helm was recently probed – and cleared – by police over a social media post in which she declared her support for banned extremist group Palestine Action.
Andy Burnham admits concerns about cutting of Ukraine's access to crucial Starlink services
Continue reading More for You
Public services 'to be worse than before Covid by 2030' despite Labour's huge spending splurge
Britain's public services will still be worse than before the Covid crisis by 2030 despite Labour 's huge spending splurge, according to a damning new report. A study of hospitals, prisons, courts, police, schools and local government found that, by the time of the next general election , most will still be performing worse than they were before the pandemic.
Andy Burnham admits concerns about cutting of Ukraine's access to crucial Starlink services
Andy Burnham today expressed fears about the cutting of crucial Starlink satellite services to Ukraine - but dodged criticising Donald Trump over the action. The Prime Minister said he held 'concerns about any move that diminishes the military capability of Ukraine' amid the furious spat between Kyiv and Washington. But he failed to offer public censure of either the US President or Starlink owner Elon Musk over the slowdown that left Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Catholic PM Burnham rushing through anti-discrimination law to give him CoE powers
Andy Burnham will push an anti-discrimination law through the Commons in a single day today to allow the Catholic Prime Minister to advise the King on appointing Church of England bishops. Labour will get all the lower house stages of the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill through on Wednesday to repeal a ban on Catholic and Jewish prime ministers advising on senior Church of England appointments.
Tories demand government supports new laws to ban polygamous marriages from the welfare system
The Tories today demanded the Government back new legislation to ban the recognition of polygamous marriages in Britain's welfare system. Ministers were urged to support a Bill aimed at ensuring taxpayers are no longer 'bundling cash to men with multiple wives'. The proposed Social Security (Marriage) Bill seeks to close a loophole under which some polygamous marriages are recognised for benefit purposes.
Benefits bill to keep rising into 2030s after Burnham dismissed calls for cuts
Britain's benefits bill is expected to continue rising into the 2030s after Andy Burnham pledged not to make 'crude' cuts to bring down welfare spending. The Prime Minister has described the scale of youth unemployment in the UK - with almost a million young people neither earning nor learning - as 'a moral failure'. He has vowed action to get young people off benefits and into work and is poised to set out his plans for welfare reforms after the publication of two major reviews.
Wife of Burnham's national security adviser accused of leaking amid Palestine Action row
The wife of Andy Burnham 's national security adviser was today accused of 'leaking' as she continued a fierce fightback in a row over her backing for Palestine Action. Sarah Helm, who is married to Jonathan Powell, was recently probed by police over a social media post in which she declared her support for the banned group. Officers took no further action after their assessment of Ms Helm's post on X found it did not meet the criminal threshold.
Second Labour MP suspended amid questions over taxpayer-funded Covid business loans
A second Labour MP has been suspended amid concerns about the repayment of taxpayer-funded Covid business loans. Perran Moon, the MP for Camborne and Redruth, is understood to have lost the Labour whip in the House of Commons while an investigation takes place. It comes after he voluntarily referred himself to party officials so that questions about emergency finance taken out by his former business can be looked into.
Labour opens clear lead in poll as Tories stay ahead of Reform
Labour has surged to a four-point lead in a new opinion poll in another sign the party's 'bounce' under Andy Burnham is continuing. The latest YouGov survey shows Labour are up three percentage points from last week and are now on 27 per cent. This has increased their lead over the Tories , who are unchanged on 23 per cent. Meanwhile, Reform UK are one point further behind on 22 per cent. Nigel Farage 's party remain behind the Tories despite a one-point rise from the previous week.
Britain faces relying on EU to keep the lights on this winter as power imports soar
Britain faces paying a 'staggering' amount to European neighbours to keep the lights on this winter, it has been claimed. Tory shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie despaired at how the UK was having to go 'cap in hand' to import energy when it could be 'much more self-sufficient'. It comes after an analysis of figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a surge in Britain's reliance on the EU and Norway for electricity.
Andy Burnham faces Labour revolt over push to ditch first-past-the-post voting system
Andy Burnham is facing a revolt over his push to alter Britain's voting system with a Labour grandee warning it will allow parties with 'outlandish views' to call the shots. The Prime Minister used his Labour conference speech last month to announce plans to contest the next general election with a manifesto commitment to electoral reform. He revealed his intent to axe the current first-past-the-post system for Westminster contests in favour of proportional representation (PR).
Government reaches settlement with top official sacked for waving through Mandelson vetting
The Government has reached an out-of-court settlement with the top Whitehall official sacked by Keir Starmer in a row over Peter Mandelson 's security vetting. Olly Robbins, who was Britain's Brexit negotiator when Theresa May was PM, was fired as the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office by Sir Keir in April this year. His exit came after it emerged he had overruled a recommendation not to grant Lord Mandelson security clearance ahead of him becoming Britain's ambassador to the US.
Government reaches settlement with top official sacked for waving through Mandelson vetting
; ; ; ; Continue reading More for You ; ; ; Continue reading More for You
Government reaches settlement with top official sacked for waving through Mandelson vetting
The Government has reached an out-of-court settlement with the top Whitehall official sacked by Keir Starmer in a row over Peter Mandelson 's security vetting. Olly Robbins, who was Britain's Brexit negotiator when Theresa May was PM, was fired as the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office by Sir Keir in April this year. His exit came after it emerged he had overruled a recommendation not to grant Lord Mandelson security clearance ahead of him becoming Britain's ambassador to the US.
Burnham urges Scots to move beyond independence bid at the same time as he's reviving Brexit row
Andy Burnham today urged Scots to 'move beyond' the question of independence as he despaired at how 'too much time is wasted on those dramas'. The Prime Minister, speaking in Motherwell, made clear his support for Scotland remaining part of the UK as he offered 'deeper' devolution to the country. He said he wanted to 'move on from the old politics of conflict' between London and Edinburgh with a 'serious and genuine offer' to the Scottish Government.
A good thing there's no international crisis! Miliband and Healey blasted over tuktuk stunt
Labour's Ed Miliband and John Healey have come under fire for 'pretending to be influencers' by filming a stunt social media clip while at key international meetings. The Foreign Secretary and Chancellor were filmed tasting Thai snacks in a tuktuk while in Bangkok this week for crucial talks with foreign counterparts. Their decision to devote some of their time to the video while at annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank has drawn fierce criticism.
Burnham urges Scots to 'move beyond' independence bid at the same time as he's reviving Brexit row
Andy Burnham today urged Scots to 'move beyond' the question of independence as he despaired at how 'too much time is wasted on those dramas'. The Prime Minister, speaking in Motherwell, made clear his support for Scotland remaining part of the UK as he offered 'deeper' devolution to the country. He said he wanted to 'move on from the old politics of conflict' between London and Edinburgh with a 'serious and genuine offer' to the Scottish Government.
A good thing there's no international crisis! Miliband and Healey blasted over tuktuk stunt
; ; Continue reading More for You
Will Burnham now go for an early election? New mega-poll gives Labour a 56-seat Commons majority
Labour would win a 56-seat majority if a general election were held tomorrow as the party enjoys a reversal in fortunes under Andy Burnham , a new mega-poll shows. Latest research by Electoral Calculus, based on Find Out Now surveys, finds Labour would win 353 seats in the House of Commons, far ahead of the Tories on 90 seats. But Kemi Badenoch 's party would have more MPs than the 81 constituencies going to Reform UK as support for Nigel Farage 's party dwindles, according to the projection.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Greg
Contact Greg, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack