Bond markets turn on Burnham

Migrant babies ‘held hostage’ at Turkish hospitals | The Daily T: On the Road

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Wednesday, 2 September 2026 Issue No. 556

Good morning. Andy Burnham’s Commons debut as Prime Minister yesterday was overshadowed by a market rout that sent borrowing costs to their highest in decades. The PM said he would deliver “much more substantial change” to the economy to reduce household bills, but he now faces a shortfall of up to £14bn in his autumn Budget after a surge in gilt yields. As Tony Diver, our Political Editor, reports, if the markets restrict his ability to borrow, he will be forced to tax more. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. While you’re here, don’t miss our Summer Sale. Join us today and try four months of The Telegraph completely free of charge. If you’re already a subscriber, make sure you’re logged in to read today’s stories.   In today’s edition Migrant babies ‘held hostage’ at Turkish hospitals — The great North-South divide: These signs reveal which side you fall on — Plus, ‘I know why women cheat on their husbands – I did it myself’

Bond markets turn on Burnham Tony Diver Political Editor   When Andy Burnham took to his feet in the Commons for the first time as Prime Minister yesterday, he tried to provide reassurance about the economy. Promising to deliver “much more substantial change” and arguing that “life is too expensive” for many voters, he gave the impression that the Government would be able to go much further to shore up household finances. Just miles away, in the City of London, the picture was far gloomier. Gilt yields have risen to their highest level in two decades, and the consequences for the public purse could be severe. Experts told The Telegraph that the rising cost of borrowing – a bet against Burnham’s Government from the markets – could create a £14bn black hole in the autumn Budget. Burnham’s first exchange with Kemi Badenoch at the Dispatch Box yesterday was a marked change from the confrontations of the Starmer era, with the new Prime Minister trying to strike a conciliatory tone. Already, the questions about his economic plans are mounting up, and his message of unity is unlikely to last long. If the markets restrict his ability to borrow, he will be forced to tax more, and there are already jitters from businesses about the effect that could have on economic growth. Burnham’s big debut may have been a crowd-pleaser for Labour MPs, but the next few appearances may be somewhat tougher. Continue reading ➤ See more of our coverage below: Bond markets give Burnham a painful reality check ➤ Sketch by Tim Stanley: PM’s a dud in his debut at Dispatch Box ➤ Danger-to-society prisoners ‘go on to rape and kill’. Burnham wants to free them ➤   Opinion Ambrose Evans-Pritchard Trump’s deplorable Venezuelan oil grab is a fool’s errand The country’s Orinoco reserves are far too expensive to extract: they’re best left to the crocodiles Continue reading ➤     Janet Daley Badenoch has just found Burnham’s Achilles’ heel Continue reading ➤     Celia Walden Miss World’s triumph over cancel culture is cause for celebration Continue reading ➤     To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. In other news • Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor “committed sex crimes in the US”, a congressman told the US House of Representatives as he demanded that men who were friends of Jeffrey Epstein be held accountable. • Children as young as six are being treated in A&E for mental health problems. Attendances by the youngest age groups have risen by 62 per cent since 2019 as mental health issues surge. • Britain must lead Nato into a “new era of war”, a former CIA director has said. David Petraeus warned that the West was facing an unprecedented and generational challenge from rogue states such as Russia. • Ed Miliband pledged a “comprehensive reset” of relations with Israel and hinted at banning trade with new settlements in the West Bank. • A US judge has cleared the way for prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder when he appeared in court yesterday.   Essential reads Aisha Mohamed Tholley, 36, a teacher from Sierra Leone, didn’t see her baby for more than two weeks Migrant babies ‘held hostage’ at Turkish hospitals Migrant mothers in Turkey say hospitals are holding them and their newborns hostage, refusing discharge, until high medical fees are paid up front, a practice advocates say violates the law. The claims have emerged as the Turkish government seeks to turn the country into a world-class medical tourism hub. Sophia Yan investigates. For subscribers only ➤   The great North-South divide: These signs reveal which side you fall on What defines northern England? Is it moody, rain-soaked moorlands? Amiable locals? An undying affinity for things wrapped in pastry? Is the North even a coherent region, or merely a tapestry of clichés? Our writer, who has lived on both sides of England’s invisible ‘border’ and knows the cultural territory intimately, offers his assessment. For subscribers only ➤   ‘I know why women cheat on their husbands – I did it myself’ My affair destroyed my marriage and changed the course of my life, writes Alex Croxford. It took me years to forgive myself. Today, I counsel other women who have been unfaithful and are caught in the same self-loathing hell I once inhabited, convinced they’ve ruined their lives. They all ask me the same question I spent years asking myself: “How could I have done this?” It’s taken me a long time to realise that the answer is almost never as simple as people think. For subscribers only ➤   Seize the day Tomorrow marks the start of party conference season, with Reform UK up first. To keep Telegraph readers up to speed with all of the political happenings, The Daily T hosts, Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley, will be on the ground bringing you a series of lively debates, expert insight and the chance to ask your questions. Take your seat for tomorrow’s business-focussed recording of The Daily T with Nick Candy and Lee Anderson, or tune in on Friday to an all-female Women of Reform panel discussion with Nadine Dorries, Laila Cunningham and Sarah Pochin. If you’re attending the conference, you don’t need to book a ticket. Explore our full event schedule here ➤ Here is another article that I hope you’ll find helpful this morning: First it was vacuums. Then came a hairdryer. Now, Dyson is launching a £420 toothbrush. Here, Telegraph Recommended ask a dentist’s opinion of the pricey product.   The English high street Beverley, East Yorkshire Christopher Howse   I hadn’t been to the market town of Beverley in East Yorkshire for 30 years and I was afraid its modest beauty might have been spoilt by empty shops, dereliction, graffiti, vape shops, nail bars, failing charity shops and inexplicable Turkish barbers. So it was with a feeling of exhilaration that I walked into the central square, called Saturday Market, and took a good look at the neat surroundings of the Market Cross, an exuberant Baroque structure from 1714, balancing eight giant urns above eight Roman Doric stone pillars, topped by an elaborate glazed lantern, obelisk and weather vane. It looks better than ever after restoration in 2020. Demolition of old houses for road schemes came to an end in 1980, and now Beverley is one of the most popular places in Yorkshire to live. I walked on, eager to see what it is like to shop and take time off here... Read Christopher’s full column ➤   Your say Atomic airports Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes... As the nation’s largest and most labyrinthine airports seek to become even bigger, and the experience of flying feels increasingly like an exercise in bureaucracy endurance, a recent series of letters has celebrated a more civilised way of travelling. The catalyst was Paul Richardson’s article in praise of tiny airports. It reminded Jonathan Yardley “of a flight I once took from Bournemouth Airport on a late-lamented airline. We had to board quickly to meet a revised flight slot. The airline owner, who saw off each flight personally, organised us into a column according to row and seat numbers, then marched us from the departure lounge and on to the aircraft. He gave us free drinks on the flight – to the amusement of the Spanish crew.”   David Allen told how “years ago, I flew on business from Leeds to Dundee, changing in Glasgow. Here, the Loganair check-in desk was empty, but a uniformed chap with a briefcase eventually appeared and informed me that I was the only passenger on the flight. He was the pilot, and invited me to sit in the cockpit. We flew low over the Forth Bridge and joined RAF Leuchars’ flying circuit after queuing over the North Sea, joining the jets and awaiting our turn to land. A delightful journey.”   Ian Dickens added: “I was once the only passenger on a flight from Paris to London City Airport. I enjoyed the one-to-one demonstration of how to use my seat belt. As we approached London, the friendly cabin crew asked if I’d need a taxi, explaining that there’d be none on the rank. The captain kindly radioed ahead, and I was quickly on my way.”   Peter Forrest, meanwhile, recalled an outward journey from London City: “Many years ago, just after it had commenced operations, I arrived early one morning to find that it was not yet open. Security invited me in and made me a cup of tea.” Do you have a soft spot for small airports? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter. Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name.   On this day 1666 | The Great Fire of London begins on Pudding Lane 1945 | Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent from France 1998 | Prince Harry joins Prince William at Eton (see how we covered it on the next day’s front page below) Birthdays: Tim Key (50), Salma Hayek (60), Sir Keir Starmer (64) Plus, in the news today, Thai police have launched raids on what in a resort city before the arrival of 5,000 American sailors who have spent nine months at sea? 1. Sex workers 2. Cannabis farms 3. Bars open past 2am Click one of the options to reveal the answer...   Puzzles Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.   Yesterday’s Panagram was JOYRIDING. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle.   Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk.

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