The prime minister has categorically ruled out an early general election, but it has not stopped speculation at Westminster.
Why MPs keep talking about an early election despite Burnham's denials

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Exclusive: UK PM to launch drive to restructure debt of poorest Commonwealth countries but rejects demands for reparations • British people can’t be made to pay for the wrongs of slavery – but we must confront our complicated history | Andy Burnham Andy Burnham has gone further than any previous prime minister towards offering a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, in a Guardian article ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit where the subject is expected to dominate. As he prepares to fly to the Caribbean next week, the prime minister said he was open to calls for an official apology on behalf of the state and offered formal talks to those affected, including individual countries and campaign groups at home and abroad. Continue reading...

British people can’t be made to pay for the wrongs of slavery – but we must confront our complicated history | Andy Burnham
Financial reparations are not the answer. Working together with our Commonwealth family is the best way to ensure prosperity for us all • Andy Burnham open to calls for formal apology for Britain’s role in slave trade On 28 October 1787, Thomas Clarkson pushed through the crowds to reach the pulpit of Manchester Cathedral. A campaigner for abolishing slavery, he spoke urgently about the horrors of the slave trade and the humanity of enslaved people. “He drinks the cup of sorrow,” Clarkson said. “And he drinks it at our hands.” During Black History Month , these are the stories it is important to remember. They show us the complicated truth of our history. Thousands of people in Manchester signed a petition against slavery after Clarkson’s sermon. And yet Manchester’s cotton industry was built on the labour of enslaved people. There are similar stories up and down the nation. We are a cou

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Local devolution decisions rest solely with Scotland and Wales, first ministers tell Burnham
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