Sital Harris

Healthcare Professional, political influencer in health policy, health research, equality and diversity. All views are my own. Retweets are not endorsements

[Pooja Shali @PoojaShali]

"My first husband stripped me naked and threw me and my daughters out of the house. Neighbours wrapped me in a quilt and my parents took us away. As I hold this gold medal in Glasgow, my message to every woman in India is to fight back against abuse."

https://t.co/LDRr8meTC1

[James Melville 🚜 @JamesMelville]

England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and France 🇫🇷 players bond after England’s 6-4 victory. Football at its best.

[Gordon Fielden @GordonFielden]

Andy Burnham's Premiership Begins with One Unanswered Question

Few politicians have travelled from the political sidelines to Number 10 as quickly as Andy Burnham. Yet it is not the speed of his ascent that should concern the country, but the remarkable absence of public scrutiny that has accompanied it.

In the space of a few weeks, Mr Burnham has returned to Parliament through a by election, become Leader of the Labour Party and now assumes the office of Prime Minister. Such a remarkable political rise would ordinarily be accompanied by intense public debate, a detailed leadership campaign and rigorous examination of the programme upon which the incoming Prime Minister intends to govern. Instead, the country has been presented with broad aspirations but remarkably little substance.

His first speech as Labour leader promises a new direction for Britain, growth in every postcode, greater power for local communities and a distinctly Labour programme. These are attractive political aspirations, but they are not a programme for government. There remains very little explanation of how these ambitions will be delivered, how they will be financed or how success will ultimately be judged.

It is extraordinary that a politician can become Prime Minister without first presenting a detailed programme for government to either Labour's membership or the British people. There has been no contested leadership campaign, no sustained examination of competing ideas, no opportunity for members to test his vision and no meaningful national debate about the policies he now intends to pursue from Number 10. Instead, the electorate is simply being asked to trust that the detail will follow.

Equally significant is the manner in which Mr Burnham secured the Labour leadership. Whilst the Parliamentary Labour Party acted within the party's constitutional framework, the process bears all the hallmarks, in my opinion, of having been carefully managed to ensure that no genuine leadership contest ever emerged. By rapidly consolidating parliamentary support behind a single candidate, the Parliamentary Labour Party ensured there would be no meaningful choice for Labour's membership and no opportunity for ordinary members to decide who should lead their party.

A process may comply with the written rules whilst still raising legitimate political questions about whether it reflects the democratic spirit those rules were intended to uphold. Hundreds of thousands of Labour members found themselves watching events unfold rather than participating in them. The leadership was effectively settled before they were ever invited to express a view.

The consequences extend well beyond the Labour Party itself. Andy Burnham now assumes the office of Prime Minister without having presented a detailed programme for government to either his own party or the British electorate. Constitutionally, that is permissible. Politically, however, it presents a very different challenge. Leadership in a parliamentary democracy may be determined in Westminster, but lasting political authority depends upon public confidence.

It is this that may become the defining weakness of Mr Burnham's premiership. In my judgement, the Parliamentary Labour Party manufactured a process that ensured its preferred candidate reached the leadership without ever having to submit himself to a genuine contest before Labour's membership. That may satisfy Westminster, but it is unlikely to satisfy many Labour members or many voters across the country.

Far from healing divisions within Labour, this process risks creating a deeper divide between the Parliamentary Labour Party and the grassroots membership who were denied any meaningful voice in choosing their leader. Nor is that divide confined to Labour alone. It extends into the wider electorate, many of whom will inevitably ask why the country now has a Prime Minister whose programme for Britain has never been subjected to a contested leadership election, never fully scrutinised by Labour's membership and never tested before the British people.

If Andy Burnham wishes to remove those questions once and for all, there is only one convincing course available to him. He should seek his own mandate from the British people on the basis of his own programme for government. Only then will the electorate have the opportunity to judge not merely the man, but the vision he now asks the country to embrace.

In my judgement, it is unrealistic to believe that Mr Burnham can simply govern until the scheduled General Election in July 2029 without these questions becoming increasingly significant. The issue of political legitimacy, the absence of a contested leadership election, the lack of a direct mandate from Labour's membership and the absence of meaningful public scrutiny of his programme are unlikely simply to disappear with the passage of time.

For that reason, I believe the pressure upon Mr Burnham to seek an earlier mandate from the British people will grow rather than diminish. If he wishes to establish an undisputed political authority of his own, rather than merely inherit office through parliamentary process, he may ultimately conclude that there is no substitute for asking the electorate directly for its confidence.

Whether one supports or opposes Andy Burnham politically is, in many respects, beside the point. The issue is far larger than one individual. It concerns the standards of democratic accountability that the British public should expect of anyone who seeks to occupy the highest office in the land. A Prime Minister should not simply inherit power. He should demonstrate his vision, defend his programme and earn the confidence of those he seeks to govern.
https://t.co/IxsB4C0CQq

[Food Standards Agency @foodgov]

14 July 2026 - Lidl Northern Ireland recalls 1001 Delights Dubai Style Pistachio Ice Cream because of undeclared cashew (nuts) https://t.co/Pnok09aCBe #FoodAllergy #food-alerts https://t.co/rcM8hRHX2h

[Viviane: Holding Burnham to account @LaindonFEMINIST]

I will bet a year’s pension that no leader of any foreign country bestows an honour like Légion d’honneur on Andy Burnham.

Just like they haven’t on anyone since Churchill.

Keir is a once in a lifetime PM. And a whole bunch of idiots sabotaged him. The anger is not lessening

[Julian Smith @JulianSmithUK]

🚨 I have challenged the Government's decision not to allow MPs to question the incoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, before Parliament rises for the summer.

Residents across Skipton and Ripon want answers on key issues including defence, support for small businesses and energy policy.

Parliament should have the opportunity to scrutinise a new Prime Minister and hear his plans before recess. 

Watch my full question below ⬇️

[Sophia Gaston @sophgaston]

Sir Keir Starmer should be offered a role as a Special Envoy for European Security, in which he can continue his work on the Coalition of the Willing, build on his relationship with President Zelenksyy, and provide much-needed continuity for Britain's European partners.

[Pippa Crerar @PippaCrerar]

Boris Johnson’s govt wasted £10bn of public PPE during the coronavirus pandemic, official inquiry concludes.

Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, also criticised then Conservative govt's controversial “VIP lane” which gave high priority for PPE contracts to firms with political links to the Tories.

Full story by @david_conn

https://t.co/cpphiTliB5

[Pippa Crerar @PippaCrerar]

EXCL: Keir Starmer has become first UK PM to be presented with Légion d’honneur by French president, in recognition of his work on security of Europe.

Emmanuel Macron awarded the historic honour to Starmer for his l'ship in setting up coalition of the willing at a critical moment for the continent in early 2025.

Only other British PM to receive a similar award – at a higher level, the Grand-Croix of the Légion d’honneur – was Winston Churchill in 1958 in recognition of his leadership during the second world war.

https://t.co/mybbRlZZba

[Shehab Khan @ShehabKhan]

The full details are in this piece I have written for @zeteouk - there's more examples too - do subscribe it really helps, all you have to do is pop your email address in: https://t.co/ZbHBUT95ob

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

The names of those murdered at Dunblane Primary School:

Victoria Elizabeth Clydesdale (age 5)
Emma Elizabeth Crozier (age 5)
Melissa Helen Currie (age 5)
Charlotte Louise Dunn (age 5)
Kevin Allan Hasell (age 5)
Ross William Irvine (age 5)
David Charles Kerr (age 5)
Mhairi Isabel MacBeath (age 5)
Gwen Mayor (age 45)
Brett McKinnon (age 6)
Abigail Joanne McLennan (age 5)
Emily Morton (age 5)
Sophie Jane Lockwood North (age 5)
John Petrie (age 5)
Joanna Caroline Ross (age 5)
Hannah Louise Scott (age 5)
Megan Turner (age 5)

Remember them.

[The Citizens @allthecitizens]

🚨 Huge news

For the first time, a local authority in England has formally opposed Palantir's involvement in the NHS 🧵 1/4

[Michael Reiners @MCRReiners]

‘Manchesterism’, a decidedly undefined term, can be best explained by this clip.

Most things can be best explained by a clip from Yes Minister.

[Just me - Thomas @TomSoede]

Open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing as a Labour supporter who is deeply concerned by the growing pressure surrounding your leadership, but also as someone who has developed a genuine admiration for the way you conduct yourself.

What I respect most about you is your seriousness.

You are not a political showman. You do not rely on constant drama, easy slogans or theatrical promises. You come across as disciplined, intelligent, decent and deeply conscious of the responsibility that comes with leading the country.

In an age when politics is increasingly dominated by noise, outrage and personality cults, your calmness is a strength.

Your resilience is also admirable. You have faced relentless criticism, personal attacks and an often hostile media environment, yet you have continued to behave with dignity. You rarely lash out. You do not appear consumed by ego. You keep returning to the work.

That matters to me.

Britain has already endured years of political chaos, revolving-door prime ministers and governments more interested in internal warfare than governing. The country does not need another leadership contest. It needs stability, seriousness and delivery.

You were elected with a mandate to govern. You inherited damaged public services, weak growth, overcrowded prisons, an NHS under enormous pressure and public trust worn down by fourteen years of Conservative government. None of that can be repaired overnight.

I hope you will remain Prime Minister and continue the work until the next general election in 2029.

Labour MPs should understand that removing you now could trigger weeks of division, uncertainty and damaging promises made during a leadership contest. The press would feed on the chaos, financial markets could react, and Nigel Farage and Reform would be handed exactly the political instability they want.

This is not the time for Labour to imitate the Conservative Party.

I also believe your personality is better suited to this difficult period than many people appreciate. You are methodical rather than impulsive, measured rather than reckless, and focused on governing rather than performing.

Those qualities may not always generate exciting headlines, but they are the qualities a serious Prime Minister needs.

Leadership is not only about popularity. It is about character.

It is about remaining calm when others panic, showing discipline when others chase attention, and continuing the difficult work when the noise becomes unbearable.

Please hold the line.

Many Labour supporters still believe in your integrity, your determination and your sense of duty. Britain needs less political theatre and more delivery, and you deserve the opportunity to complete the job the country elected Labour and you to do.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Soede

[Deborah Meaden 🇺🇦 @DeborahMeaden]

Labour loses my vote if they don’t stop pfaffing with the leadership nonsense. There’s work to do and right now @Keir_Starmer seems to be the only one who gets that.

[Darren Jones MP @darrenpjones]

Security staff, cleaners and caterers are as much a part of the team as anyone else in government.

They should be properly treated as such.

[Rachel Reeves @RachelReevesMP]

'We have far more in common than that which divides us.'

10 years on the message of my dear friend Jo Cox remains as important as ever.

The world is a fairer, kinder place because of her legacy.

[Keir Starmer @Keir_Starmer]

Football should bring people together, not shut them out.

For the first time since the competition began, fans won’t be able to watch the Champions League final for free. That’s not right.

This is bigger than wanting to watch Arsenal in this historic final. It’s bigger than one club.

Hardworking people shouldn’t have to fork out for a subscription to watch this match.

I urge TNT Sports to reconsider and make the final next Saturday free to watch.

[Department of Health and Social Care @DHSCgovuk]

🔞 Sunbeds can cause skin cancer - yet some businesses are still letting children and teenagers use them illegally.

We've launched a consultation on introducing tougher regulations for commercial sunbeds, as part of our National Cancer Plan.

💬 Have your say: https://t.co/DKj84X0UIo

[Gavin Barwell @GavinBarwell]

You're going to hear a lot about how Reform is now a national party.

It's not true, as John Curtice sets out here. They're doing very well in areas that voted strongly for Brexit and not very well at all in areas that voted strongly Remain @Prosper_UK_

https://t.co/CgwDD8Agr1