As the weather heated up this week, so did the pressure for Andy Burnham who is facing media and political pressure about the early prison release scheme and Channel crossings.
Count Binface wasn’t able to eclipse Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election. His re-election only means one thing: the investigation into the £5m gift from his crypto billionaire bestie has already resumed.
Record-setting temperatures are causing serious stress on crops and supply chains. Our CEO, Naomi Smith, explores the consequences of climate change.
Finally, Trump’s illegal war in Iran is risking economic growth… but we know where to find a £92bn boost.
Read on for your Weekend Wire.
It’s been a week wrapped in that familiar red tape that has become synonymous with post-Brexit Britain. Two young footballers snared in bureaucracy: Scotland’s Robbie Ure, who may well see his debut for Spanish club Sevilla postponed, and Liverpool’s new Austrian centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe, unable to play for the Merseyside club until at least 2027 after failing to get a work permit to appear in competitive fixtures.
From sports stars to critically endangered Sumatran tigers: it’s now been revealed that post-Brexit rules over the transportation of animals between the UK and EU are harming conservation efforts aimed at protecting endangered species.
Zookeepers at Twycross Zoo cited the example of one male Sumatran tiger, whose relocation from the Netherlands to Twycross could offer vital breeding opportunities for the zoo’s two resident females.
Count down
In the end, and despite an admirable effort and entertaining campaign, Count Binface was defeated. As expected, Nigel Farage regained his seat in Parliament which means the timer has restarted on the parliamentary inquiry into the undeclared £5 million donation generously handed to him by crypto-billionaire Christopher Harbourne.
2026 Clacton By-Election Result
Reacting to the result, Best for Britain’s CEO Naomi Smith said:
“It’s vital the Parliamentary standards investigation into the £5m gift he accepted from a crypto billionaire now resumes at pace. No one must be beyond scrutiny, least of all those elected to serve the public, and voters rightly do not accept that an MP can escape consequences for behaviour which could see most UK workers hauled over the coals.” - Naomi Smith
A record number of candidates stood in the contest, leading to quite a crowded podium once the result was announced, but for Nigel Farage, showing up was a step too far. There was only scattered applause when Farage was declared elected, with The Guardian reporting that Reform UK supporters were “nowhere to be seen”.
A Reform party spokesperson said in the early hours of Friday morning that Essex Police had advised Farage not to attend the count “due to a credible threat against him” - although this was rejected by Essex Police themselves, who said they had carried out a “robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants”.
The by-election had been boycotted by all the major parties over what they saw as an attempt to distract public attention from the allegations of sleaze that have threatened to submerge Reform UK in recent months. The final result saw Farage receive 22,239 votes to Count Binface’s 9,455.
For a deeper dive into what the by-election result really means (hint: not what Farage wants us to think) Best for Britain’s Director of Strategy Cary Mitchell shared his thoughts in this piece for Left Foot Forward.
“Ultimately, with all mainstream parties – as well as Rupert Lowe’s far-right Restore Britain – declining to field candidates, Farage may have fought the election on his turf – but in no sense on his terms.” - Cary Mitchell
Here is what one Clacton resident thought about rebuilding UK-EU relations the last time Best for Britain visited:
Jailhouse Rock (and a hard place)
The early prison release scheme is proving to be a formidable first opponent for Andy Burnham. Since making initial changes to early release eligibility last week, Burnham continues to face criticism and negative headlines from those who say the scheme will create more problems than solutions. Two of the many voices pushing back are the wife and mother of PC Andrew Harper, whose killers are set to be released.
To overcome prison overcrowding, which was the very reason for the scheme, Burnham has asked his Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, to rapidly push through a series of measures to increase the number of prison places, requiring fewer people to be released early to free up room.
The underlying issue, of course, is the failure of successive governments to build enough prison places and resolve the funding crisis in the justice system.
On the move
Huge congratulations to everyone who received their A-Level, T-Level, and BTEC results on Thursday. Top-level A-Level results edged up for the third year in a row, with 28.5% of grades an A or an A*.
More students than ever received their top university places, according to UCAS. With four out of ten universities expected to report financial struggles this year, there is hope that taking on more students will allow for greater fiscal stability across Britain’s higher education system.
T-Levels also saw greater uptake this year, with more students than ever choosing to take up technical subjects such as software development and construction. With an agreement on the proposed UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme hopefully around the corner, this generation of young people could soon have the opportunity to travel, work, and live across the EU - reversing some of the damage done by Brexit to the life opportunities of Britain’s youngsters.
Elsewhere on Substack, Best for Britain’s Julia Meadon wrote a piece imploring the freshly appointed Education Secretary Lucy Powell to tackle the burden of student loans. Julia powerfully argued that:
“More options and opportunities for young people can only be a good thing. But what cannot be overlooked is the record number of UK 18-year-olds who have been accepted to degree courses this year, and the debt that will eat into their earnings for years after they leave university.” - Julia Meadon
The heat is on
The UK is now officially on track to having the hottest summer on record. So hot that the Prime Minister chaired his first meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee to discuss the UK’s response to the extreme weather.
Rising temperatures and little to no rain has led to drought being declared in more than two-thirds of England and all of Wales. In real speak, this means a total of 45 million people are now living in a drought area in England, with more than 27 million facing water use restrictions.
Anyone who has visited a park in London this summer will have seen the devastating consequences of the heat.
On Substack this week, Best for Britain CEO, Naomi Smith, dives into the more serious consequences of climate change: inadequate infrastructure, rising costs of living and food insecurity.
“Our prolonged drought is going to make food more expensive. We cannot negotiate with the weather but we can negotiate away the unnecessary friction to the supply chains we depend on.” - Naomi Smith
Growing pains
Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey have been warned the UK economy will barely grow next year if disruption in the Strait of Hormuz continues. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, and the downward trend is expected to continue.
In response, Naomi Smith said:
“It’s vital Andy Burnham takes action, applies his own Makerfield test to the UK’s dwindling coffers and seizes the transformative economic boost of at least £92bn that independent research found renewing our EU membership would offer the country”
Want to get involved? Write to your MP and tell them that EU membership will give the UK economy the supercharge it needs to overturn the damage done by Brexit.
Party Season
Heading to the Labour or Liberal Democrat party conferences this year? The Best for Britain team will see you there!
In a positive step this week, Meta glasses have been banned from courts in England and Wales following similar decisions made by pubs, restaurants and theatres across the country. Concerns have been raised over the use of Meta glasses to inconspicuously record events and people without their knowledge or consent, with some going as far as to label them “spyware”.
Meta’s glasses, which sold over seven million pairs last year, have been met with ongoing fear regarding their improper use and the threat that they pose to an individual’s privacy. Last month a TikTok creator faced a police investigation after using the glasses to secretly film members of the public while on a road trip around Scotland.
With millions of “no strings attached” pounds, it must be easy to be this out of touch…
Next week marks one month of Andy Burnham’s time as Prime Minister.
The annual Blue Book will be released by the ONS, giving us a detailed look at the UK’s economic activity.
We’ll have all of that and more.
Until then.
Eliza Snider and Josh Edwicker
Senior Press Officer and Senior Content Officer
Best for Britain