Andy Burnham has responded to claims he was told he would be blocked from standing as Labour's candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election before he put his name forward for selection.
Tuesday 27 January 2026 21:55, UK
Thank you for following our coverage on another busy day in Westminster.
We'll be back tomorrow with all the latest news - including updates on Starmer's trip to China.
By Will Charley, political reporter
As we reported earlier, ministers have outlined a host of measures designed to ease the pressures that hospitality businesses in England are facing.
But the proposals outlined by Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson will only apply to pubs and music venues - leaving other companies in the hospitality sector - such as restaurants, cafes, and soft play centres - no better off.
'Government must think again'
Tom Kiehl, the chief executive of UK Music told Paste BN that his trade body welcomes extra support for pubs and music venues - but warned ministers "must not forget recording studios that are facing crippling rate increases".
He asked: "Why should the studio used to film Hamnet be entitled to business rate relief, yet the studio used to record the soundtrack not be eligible?
"Recording studios must not be treated as poor cousins in the creative economy. The government must think again."
'We need a new robust reliable method'
Jon Collins, the CEO of LIVE (Live music, Industry Venues and Entertainment), told Paste BN: "Including all live music venues from grassroots to arenas within the new business rates relief package recognises the role they play as anchor institutions for town and city centres, driving footfall into pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and shops."
But he added: "We now need a new, robust, reliable method of Rateable Value calculation that reflects the realities of operating live music venues, and is not based on generic data."
Ministers 'must do more' for businesses besides pubs
Labour MP Anneliese Midgley wrote a letter to the chancellor earlier this year calling for music venues to be saved, which was signed by almost 50 MPs.
Speaking to Paste BN, she said: "I very much welcomes the measures announced today".
But she insisted: "The government must do more to ensure that our world-leading recording studios have the support they need to survive.
"Without studios, there will be nowhere for young musicians to learn their craft or for artists to create award-winning albums."
Midgley, who sits on the Commons culture, media and sport committee, has called on ministers to "look again at how business rates for studios are calculated".
By Jon Craig, chief political correspondent
An election-winning Tory chairman has said "good riddance" to some of the senior Conservatives who have defected to Nigel Farage's "dreadful" Reform UK.
Chris Patten, who as party chairman masterminded John Major's surprise 1992 general election victory over Neil Kinock's Labour Party, denounced Mr Farage as a "populist authoritarian".
In a Paste BN interview, Lord Patten was asked for his view on the recent defections of ex-minister Nadhim Zahawi and current MPs Robert Jenrick, Andrew Rosindell and Suella Braverman.
In a gloomy response, the Tory grandee, who was MP for Bath from 1979 until 1992 and party chairman from 1990 to 1992, said: "I'm afraid the Conservative Party has suffered a great deal in the last few years, not least because of the activities as ministers or senior members of some of those who've now left to join the dreadful Farage outfit.
"I think that frankly one or two of them who've gone - and one should say I wish them well - but say good riddance."
Praising Kemi Badenoch's leadership of the party, Lord Patten said: "I think the present leader of the Conservative party is doing her very best and doing pretty well."
He also welcomed the launch this week of a new centrist political movement, Prosper UK, by former West Midlands mayor Sir Andy Street and former Scottish Tory leader Baroness Ruth Davidson.
"Andy Street, the former very successful mayor and the head of the Conservative party in Scotland when it was doing very well, have come together with other moderate Conservatives to argue the case for the Conservative Party to returning to its moderate centre right position," said Lord Patten.
And he warned the Conservative Party: "And not rush in the direction of Farage, who's a populist authoritarian who has the economic policy of Liz Truss and the foreign policy of Jeremy Corbyn."
After losing his own seat in Bath in the 1992 election he helped John Major win, Lord Patten, now 81, was the last governor of Hong Kong, a Brussels commissioner, BBC chairman and Oxford University chancellor.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been speaking in Manchester tonight as his party launches its campaign for the Gorton and Denton by-election.
It's not been the perfect start (for pedants anyway)... because some of the posters at the event have the name of the constituency spelt incorrectly.
But the messaging has been much clearer.
Polanski has cast this by-election as a binary choice - between his party and Reform UK - with his the party of "hope" and Nigel Farage's party the one of "division and hate".
The Greens haven't selected their candidate yet - but, according to our political correspondent Alexandra Rogers, are set to do so on Friday.
Our deputy political editor Sam Coates has visited the Gorton and Denton constituency ahead of what could be a crunch moment for the government.
Most of the candidates haven't been announced yet - and there's already been much controversy following the decision not to allow Andy Burnham to run for Labour.
But there could be a much bigger problem on the way for Labour.
While the party won the seat with a 13,000 majority in 2024, the party could have a battle on its hands to keep it - at least according to the Greens and Reform UK who are bullish about their chances.
Sam has been speaking to people in the constituency about how they feel ahead of the vote next month - and you can watch that below.
Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson earlier revealed the government's plans to support pubs and music venues.
The announcement came following a U-turn from the government after concerns were raised about the impact of business rate changes - announced in the budget - on the hospitality industry.
Tomlinson was asked by Matt Barbet on the Politics Hub if issues raised after the budget could have been ironed out before they were announced - and whether the government had engaged with businesses before making the changes.
He said: "We did talk to them before the budget. We did lots of engagement with lots of different sectors before the budget.
"Before the budget, the way that pubs were valued on business rates, had the broad support of the sector.
"After the budget, they have raised significant concerns with it, once they'd seen their new values.
"We couldn't tell them before [the budget], that wouldn't have been appropriate...
"We've looked at those concerns."
You can watch the full video below
Tories say tax is behind pub closures
Meanwhile, Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride has been on the show, giving his view on the government's announcement.
He said: "What we're seeing with this government is pubs closing primarily because of the kind of tax and regulatory approach that they're taking."
He blamed a spike in business rates and national insurance.
"And we've got the employment's rights legislation coming down the line that's going to make it more expensive, more onerous to recruit and employ people," he said.
"If you add all those things up, that's why those kind of businesses are really suffering."
By Beth Rigby, political editor
Keir Starmer's January has been the stuff of nightmares.
It kicked off with the crisis over Greenland and rift with Donald Trump - and was followed by a dose of psychodrama over the Labour leadership courtesy of Andy Burnham and that unwanted by-election.
This week will be another high-stakes one for the prime minister as he heads to China to look for deeper trade ties against the backdrop of a volatile US and domestic resistance to Beijing at home.
This visit has been a year in planning and will be a big symbolic moment, if rather ill-timed, given the troubles he's facing in his own backyard. Starmer will be the first UK prime minister to visit China since Baroness Theresa May in 2018.
His goal is to try to drum up trade with the world's second-biggest economy. He hopes this will help spur the economy and help Labour make an impact on the cost of living - now his number one priority for government.
His challenge is to navigate that while not triggering Trump. Just days ago, the US president threatened a 100% tariff on Canada if PM Mark Carney did a trade deal with Beijing.
He will also have to face down criticism at home as the political consensus hardens against China due to concerns over national security threats and human rights.
You can read Beth's full analysis here:
Michelin-starred chef and pub owner Tom Kerridge has been speaking to the Politics Hub about the government's package of support for pubs (see our 2.18pm post).
He says it's "unfortunate" that it needs to be done in the first place - and that some pubs are still facing a rise in business rates, though "nowhere near as it was going to be".
But the chef, who publically backed Labour before the election, says the hospitality sector is a "bigger picture" and that other types of hospitality businesses beyond pubs are still facing "cost issues" across the board.
You can watch the full interview here:
It is 7pm - so it's time for the Politics Hub. Tonight's presenter is Matt Barbet.
He'll be joined by former Labour advisor Max Wilson and ex-Conservative special advisor Salma Shah on the panel.
Matt will also speak to Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge about the government's announcement of a support package for pubs.
Tune in via the stream above.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has responded to the government's announcement of a business rates support package for pubs and music venues (see our pinned post)
In a post on the X social media site, she said: "Labour's latest partial U-turn on pubs isn't fooling anyone.
"Cafes, hotels, and small businesses across the country are still getting clobbered by their tax rises.
"Only the Conservatives will abolish business rates for thousands of firms and help rejuvenate the high street."
Earlier, shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride, responding to the government's announcement in the Commons, also said the Conservatives would "completely abolish business rates for thousands of pubs, shops and restaurants across our country".
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Paste BN app for free
