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Burnham's Devolution Vision Leaves Scotland Uncertain and Sidelined

Burnham's Big Devolution Pitch: Power to the People (But Which People?)

Andy Burnham has wasted no time making his mark as Prime Minister, and devolution is right at the heart of his pitch to the country. His vision — sometimes dubbed a 'Number 10 North' approach to governance — is built on a simple but powerful idea: that power has been hoarded in Westminster for too long, and that communities across the UK deserve a bigger say over their own futures. Think jobs, high streets, local economies — the stuff that actually affects people's daily lives.

Andy Burnham's Key Policy Pledges as New Prime Minister

Political Parties

Andy Burnham Enters Downing Street: What His Victory Means for Britain

After years of building his reputation in the North West of England, Andy Burnham has made the remarkable process from the streets of Manchester to the steps of Number 10 Downing Street. It's a story that feels genuinely different from the usual political playbook, and that difference, many observers believe, is exactly the point.

TL;DR – Burnham spent years as Greater Manchester's Metro Mayor, transforming the role into something far bigger than most people expected. He became a familiar face not just for Mancunians, but for anyone who watched him fight the government over COVID-19 tier restrictions or champion a joined-up approach to homelessness and public transport. That hands-on, get-things-done reputation followed him all the way to the Labour leadership contest, and ultimately to the general election. But what does it mean, now he's in the big chair?

Cheerful defiance – Tartan army placing cones on statues

Scotland's tartan army placing cones on statues

The Cone on Wellington's Head: Glasgow's Beloved Tradition

Standing proudly in Royal Exchange Square on Queen Street in Glasgow, Scotland, the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington has been a fixture of the city since 1844. Crafted by the sculptor Carlo Marochetti, the bronze monument depicts Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington — the celebrated military commander whose defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 made him one of Britain's most revered historical figures [1]. The statue sits outside what is now the Gallery of Modern Art, one of Glasgow's most visited cultural landmarks.

Notably, the statue portrays Wellington with his signature bicorne cocked hat held in his hand rather than worn on his head — a detail that may have proved irresistible to the city's irreverent sense of humour [1]. At some point in the late twentieth century, Glaswegians began placing a bright orange traffic cone atop Wellington's head, transforming the dignified military hero into an unlikely symbol of local wit and civic identity. The exact origin of the tradition remains uncertain, but it has endured for decades and become one of the city's most recognisable and affectionately regarded sights.

Glasgow City Council has made repeated attempts to put a stop to the coning, at one point proposing to raise the statue's plinth to make it harder for revellers to climb up and place the cone. The proposal was estimated to cost around £65,000 and was met with swift and vocal public opposition. Residents and visitors alike argued that the cone had become an key part of Glasgow's cultural character, far more representative of the city's spirit than any formal monument. The council ultimately backed down in the face of widespread resistance.

TL:DR – Today, the cone is removed regularly by authorities — and replaced just as regularly by the public. The Wellington statue, cone firmly in place, has become one of Scotland's most photographed landmarks and a point of genuine civic pride.

Group stage Scotland World Cup games are on free-to-air TV

Sport

Scotland's group stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast entirely free to air — no Sky Sports, no TNT Sports, no subscription of any kind required. BBC Scotland and STV hold the UK rights between them, and every Scotland fixture in Group C is confirmed across those two channels.

TL:DR – The group stages are free to air in the UK, but you must have a TV licence.

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