Andy Burnham just stuck two fingers up at Donald Trump – he’s playing a dangerous game.TA
Andy Burnham greets Volodymyr Zelensky outside No 10 (Image: AFP via Getty)
Andy Burnham rolling out the red carpet for Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street is as clear a signal of British defiance as you will ever see. Coming in the immediate wake of Donald Trump’s controversial diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, the No 10 meeting – complete with an unprecedented ceremonial guard of honour – is a deliberate show of unwavering support for Ukraine at a moment when Kyiv feels deeply abandoned by Washington.
With the US president easing sanctions on Russian diesel to quell soaring domestic fuel prices ahead of the upcoming American midterm elections, European allies were left stunned by what many view as a tactical surrender to Moscow’s war machine. In response, the Prime Minister isn’t just offering warm words to an embattled wartime leader – he is backing it up with hard steel.
Burnham’s announcement of accelerated missile deliveries and calls for tougher sanctions on Russian energy sends an unmistakable message: Britain will not back down, regardless of the political shifts in the White House.
Yet while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine plays well at home and across European capitals, it represents a high-stakes gamble with the UK-US “Special Relationship”.
Trump is not a politician who takes kindly to being publicly upstaged or contradicted by British prime ministers. Just ask Sir Keir Starmer.
Volodymyr Zelensky meets King Charles (Image: Getty)
Having already suggested that Ukraine needs a new leader and claiming Putin wants peace more than Kyiv does, Trump could easily view No 10’s overtures as a direct challenge to his foreign policy authority.
Burnham insists his role is to “repair bridges” and bring Washington and Kyiv back together. But walking the diplomatic tightrope between an unpredictable US president and an exhausted Ukrainian ally requires supreme agility.
If Trump decides that Britain’s robust backing for Zelensky is actively undermining his attempts to force a deal, the UK risks finding itself out in the cold with its most critical security partner.
Burnham is playing a dangerous game of geopolitical chess. Showing solidarity with Ukraine is morally right and vital for European defence. But in standing tall against Trump’s pragmatic dealings with Putin, the Prime Minister must ensure he does not end up tearing down the transatlantic alliance.
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New driveway rule and ban under Andy Burnham this October
Andy Burnham has already overseen driveway rule changes this October, and more motoring updates are on their way.
Andy Burnham is overseeing new changes for EV owners (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham will oversee two major motoring rule changes this October as part of drastic changes for electric car owners, although some road users will be banned from making savings. The Prime Minister has altered VAT rates on domestic electricity bills, slashing fees from 5% to 0% in a move that experts suggest could save EV owners with a driveway up to £40 per year. Labour’s updates don’t stop there, with new cross-pavement solution rules set to come into effect from October 21 in a boost for those without a driveway or off-street parking space.
Under the changes, Labour will allow homeowners and renters to install cable solutions, such as pavement gullies, to connect an EV charger from their house to their car. This previously required traditional planning permission, but the new updates will mean motorists won’t need this to take advantage of the savings.
This will ensure those without access to a driveway can still charge at the discounted 0% domestic rates, rather than the more expensive 20% VAT charged on public charging plugs. However, one set of road users will not be allowed to take advantage of the new cross-pavement solution due to a late legislative change.
The Government has decided that those living in conservation areas will not be allowed to make changes and will still require full planning permission. It is understood there are around 10,000 conservation areas around England alone, with the new rule set to affect as many as 3.5million people who don’t have a driveway.
A Government spokesperson told The Times: “We want to support households without off-street parking to access domestic electric vehicle charging, but it’s vital that we continue to protect the special character of our conservation areas.
“People in conservation areas without off-street parking can still apply for planning permission to install a cross-pavement solution. Local authorities also have powers to grant blanket permission for these installations in an entire area if they choose to.”
Labour is changing rules around EV charging (Image: Getty)
New cross-pavement solutions will see drivers install gullies under footpaths (Image: DfT)
Despite the changes, local highway authorities will still need to approve a cross-parking cable installation. This should take just a couple of weeks compared to several months under the previous planning permission requirement. Daniel Briggs, CEO at frontline worker car discount company Motorfinity, has warned this still risked a “postcode lottery”.
There is concern that some councils are likely to be quicker than others at approving works which could leave some EV owners plugging in at expensive public chargers for longer than they need.
He said: “Scrapping planning red tape is an overdue win for fair access to EV charging, making it easier for those wanting to make the switch from petrol to EV. That said, the bottleneck hasn’t entirely vanished. The decision has shifted parking planning permission approval to local highway authorities, which could create a postcode lottery of enforcement.”
