National News

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to their website.

• Labour to include Andy Burnham in candidate selection for Makerfield by election

  Andy Burnham will be among the potential Labour candidates to stand in the Makerfield by-election, the party’s ruling body has said.

• British Gas agrees 20m payout and compensation for prepayment meter failures

  British Gas has agreed to a £20 million payout and to compensate customers who had a prepayment meter installed without their permission, regulator Ofgem has said following an investigation.

• Cheapest supermarket for branded items revealed

  Asda has been named the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries for the third consecutive month, with its standard prices even beating loyalty card deals at Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Which? has found.

• Screening for prostate cancer likely to reduce deaths but risks remain review

  Screening men for prostate cancer using a blood test is likely to reduce deaths from the disease, a new review has found, although experts stressed there are still risks around overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

• Bathing season kicks off with 13 new spots including first Thames site in London

  The first-ever bathing spot on the River Thames in London is among 13 new sites opening as the season kicks off.

• Burnham to seek Westminster return after path opens to challenge Starmer

  Andy Burnham has said he will ask for permission to stand for Labour in a by-election after an MP quit to make way for the Greater Manchester Mayor to return to Parliament to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.

• Gloria Hunniford delighted to receive Freedom of the City of London

  Broadcaster Gloria Hunniford has said she is “delighted and humbled” to receive the Freedom of the City of London

• Southampton Spygate hearing delay casts doubt over play off final scheduling

  Spying charges against Southampton may not be heard until Tuesday, placing a question mark over the scheduling of next week’s Championship play-off final.

• Police believe they have identified three women recovered off Brighton beach

  Police believe they have identified three women whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach.

• King visits Golders Green and meets Jewish stabbing victims

  The King has visited Golders Green and met the Jewish victims of the stabbings in the neighbourhood last month in a show of support for the community.

• Starmer on brink as Streeting quits criticising drift at top of Government

  Wes Streeting has quit as Health Secretary, calling for a leadership contest and plunging Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership into crisis.

• Rayner cleared by HMRC over tax affairs amid uncertainty over Starmers future

  Angela Rayner has said she has been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing in an investigation over her tax affairs, paving the way for a potential leadership bid amid uncertainty over Sir Keir Starmer’s future.

• UK economy records strongest quarterly growth in a year

  The UK economy has recorded the strongest quarterly growth in a year over the first three months of 2026 with a surprise spurt in activity after the Iran war began, figures show.

• Pink Floyd rainbow prism effect coins launched by The Royal Mint

  Commemorative coins celebrating Pink Floyd are being launched by The Royal Mint, celebrating the band’s enduring legacy.

• Regional divide as house prices came under increased pressure in April report

  House prices came under increased pressure in April, with signs of a widening regional divide, according to surveyors.

• Tree deserts exposing millions to heat pollution and ill health charity

  Millions of people in UK towns and cities are living in “tree deserts”, with not enough trees to protect them from air pollution, heat, stress and ill health, campaigners warn.

• Worlds first laughing gas breathalyser being trialled by two UK police forces

  The world’s first roadside laughing gas breathalyser is being trialled by two police forces in the south of England.

• Levy Not in a million years did I think Spurs would be in relegation scrap

  Daniel Levy has said “not in a million years” did he see signs during his time as Tottenham Hotspur chairman that the club might end up in a relegation battle.

• Bodies of three young women recovered from sea off Brighton

  The bodies of three young women have been recovered from the sea off Brighton.

• Starmer has full confidence in Streeting despite leadership challenge talk

  Sir Keir Starmer retains “full confidence” in Wes Streeting as Health Secretary, even as he looks set to resign in a bid to launch a leadership challenge.

• Streeting leaves No 10 after brief talks with Starmer as PM fights on

  Wes Streeting has been to Downing Street for crunch talks that lasted less than 20 minutes this morning as the Prime Minister continues to fend off calls to resign.

• 122m UK adults at risk of pension poverty in later life report estimates

  Around 12.2 million adults across the UK are at risk of being unable to cover their basic financial needs in retirement, a report estimates.

• Some of UKs most popular sandwiches contain alarmingly high levels of salt

  Some of the UK’s most popular shop-bought sandwiches contain “alarmingly high” levels of salt, with one containing more than almost five McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to a study.

• Sellers warned dont ask too much as almost half of properties fail to sell

  Nearly half (44%) of UK homes listed on the property market in the past three years have failed to sell, research from a property website indicates.

• Cabinet ministers back Keir Starmer after he vows to fight on

  Cabinet ministers came out of their meeting backing Sir Keir Starmer, after the Prime Minister vowed to fight on despite mounting calls for him to quit.