‘A mess of our own making’: Labour mayors reflect on Starmer’s first year
Keir Starmer’s government appears “disjointed” from the rest of the Labour party just a year after taking power, regional mayors have said, with one blaming No 10 for overseeing “a mess of our own making”.Steve Rotheram, the Labour mayor of Liverpool city region, said Downing Street’s repeated missteps were “winding up” people who wanted to back the government.Speaking as the party marked 12 months in government after a stunning election win last summer, during which Starmer campaigned on an agenda of national renewal centred around a message of “change”, Rotherham said people were willing to forgive the occasional miscalculation but that the climbdowns over winter fuel payments and the welfare bill had left Starmer’s operation looking like “a mess”.He said: “What I think has exacerbated this feeling by many, not just politicians but people around the country, who look at this and think it’s a mess.Well, it’s a mess of our own making,” he said.
“We could have avoided some of this by just listening to some of the people in the party who want to support Starmer, want to support Labour, but are finding it difficult because the mistakes are made and they could have been avoided.”Rotheram, a former MP who was elected as first Liverpool city region mayor in 2017, said the government appeared “disjointed” from the rest of Labour.He added: “I don’t think it’s necessarily about Keir or Keir’s team necessarily – although there are definitely some siren voices around all of that – but I do think it’s about the feeling that there’s a lack of connectivity between different bits of the party.”Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, urged Starmer to place the devolution of power at the heart of his premiership.She said “The devolution revolution has been all too quickly forgotten by some [government] departments” despite mayors “driving incredible change for our communities bringing growth, hope and optimism”.
Brabin, a former shadow culture secretary who took office in West Yorkshire in 2021, said Labour had an opportunity to win back the trust of voters who had “lost confidence in politicians ability to improve their lives” by backing mayors with more powers.The call was repeated by Oliver Coppard, the Labour mayor of South Yorkshire, who urged government ministers to invest more in frontline policing in the region and in its cultural sector.But he said ministers appeared “genuinely interested” in what he was trying to achieve in South Yorkshire, describing dealings with them as “chalk and cheese” compared with the “absolute shambles” under the Conservatives.“The difference is I think this government listens and I hope this government learns.That certainly seems to be the case.
I want things to go better, of course I do, because what’s good for South Yorkshire is good for this country and vice versa,”Sign up to Headlines UKGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morningafter newsletter promotionThe best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know,If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods,Secure Messaging in the Guardian appThe Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories,Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs.
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Angela Rayner, the local government secretary, has promised to extend devolution to all parts of England, starting with new combined authorities in six regions – Cumbria, Cheshire, Essex, Hampshire, East Anglia and Sussex – due to elect metro mayors in May 2026, with a further scheme in Lancashire,That would mean almost 70% of England’s population, about 40 million people, would be represented by 21 mayors with various levels of devolved powers,The Institute for Government said the plans could mark “the start of a generational shift in power” away from Whitehall,Rotheram urged Starmer’s government to use its existing mayors more frequently as a way of demonstrating the party’s successes,“My message is that we are here to help,” he said.
“There are things we can all do that will help the party demonstrate its economic competence.We haven’t been used as much as we could and should have been, and hopefully we will in the future”.
Lando Norris savours ‘dream’ British GP win but Piastri left hurt and confused
Lando Norris said his maiden victory at the British Grand Prix was everything he had dreamed of and a special moment to savour at his home race. However, his furious McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who finished second, was convinced he had been unfairly denied by a controversial stewards’ decision.Norris, now in his sixth season in F1, took the victory after Piastri had been given a 10-second penalty while leading but the 25-year-old still produced an assured drive in treacherous wet conditions to become the 12th British driver to win their home race since it was first held in 1950.It is the one grand prix Norris wanted more than any other and he revelled in his success. “This victory is everything I dreamed of,” he said
Wimbledon 2025: Alcaraz beats Rublev, Norrie through to quarter-finals, Kartal bows out – as it happened
Here’s today’s reports from Wimbledon from our writers.Carlos Alcaraz speaks: “He’s pushing you to the limit with every ball. I think I played very intelligent, very smart. It’s about belief in yourself. Tennis it can change in one point
Cameron Norrie sinks Jarry in five-set Wimbledon epic to set up Alcaraz quarter-final
Cameron Norrie was desperately fighting for his survival by the final set of an agonising duel over four hours and 27 minutes on his beloved No 1 Court. As he watched ace after ace fly past him from one of the world’s most destructive servers, Norrie’s momentum had disappeared along with his two-set lead and match point.The Briton has been on a purposeful journey over the past few years and, after enduring one of the most difficult periods of his career, he has rebounded with even greater courage and self-belief. He drew upon those qualities in the final moments of one of the most significant wins of his career as he held his nerve to close out a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over the qualifier Nicolás Jarry.The victory marks Norrie’s second grand slam quarter-final, having reached his first en route to the semi-finals at the All England Club in 2022
England call up Gus Atkinson to bolster bowling ranks after India defeat
England have called up Gus Atkinson for Thursday’s third Test against India as they seek to refresh a bowling group that toiled through 234 overs at Edgbaston in a losing cause.Ben Stokes admitted his side’s travails on the way to a humbling 336-run defeat had left them needing to repair both their bodies and their morale, with barely 72 hours in which to do it. “We’re disappointed, but we’ve got three days to turn around, so we need to get over this one just like we got over the enjoyment and the excitement of winning the first game – we need to flip our heads around,” the England captain said.Atkinson’s own fitness is not entirely certain, although he should certainly not be fatigued: the 27-year‑old has not played since May, having sustained a hamstring strain during England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe.A tight turnaround before the series resumes at Lord’s – the team will have only two days off, though many plan to play golf together on Tuesday before a single day’s training before the next game – leaves little time for recuperation
Sabalenka ousts former doubles partner Mertens to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals
Tennis players often say it’s hard to play against a friend, the killer instinct never quite as easy to call on as it might be against someone else. Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, has rarely had that problem, but she was pushed hard by her former doubles partner Elise Mertens before winning through 6-4, 7-6 (4) to reach the quarter-finals.Mertens had won just two sets in their past nine matches but played as good a match as she has ever done at Wimbledon, and still came out on the wrong side. Sabalenka hit 36 winners and made just 18 unforced errors, coming from 3-1 down in the second set to set up a quarter-final against Laura Siegemund of Germany.“It’s tough to play against someone you know quite close,” Sabalenka said
Ben Stokes’ waning influence with the bat on display in England’s soggy defeat | Andy Bull
It was raining hard in Birmingham on Sunday morning. A weight of great black clouds broke over the city while it was feeling its way into the day. On the streets people pressed themselves together under the cover of bus stops and awnings: revellers off to the Queens Heath pride festival, heavy metal lovers making their way home after Black Sabbath’s farewell gig at Villa Park the previous evening, and cricket supporters bound for the ground, most of them with last-minute tickets, split between anxious Indian and wry English fans, the only people in the city who were happy enough to be getting wet.The bad weather was about the only way England were going to get out of this match with a draw. A team who have spent three years learning how to do the improbable were in no position at all to attempt the unremarkable and bat out the match, even after the rain had washed out the first hour and a half of the day
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