The secret deal Rayner's allies want her to strike to become PM

Angela Rayner allies are pushing her to strike a deal with Andy Burnham to let him back into Parliament – but only if she becomes prime minister first.

Sources close to the former deputy Labour leader say Rayner does not believe that the hugely popular Greater Manchester Mayor has a “realistic chance” of becoming an MP before a leadership contest is triggered.

Allies of Rayner have convinced a number of MPs originally backing Burnham that she is the only candidate from the “soft left” that can replace Sir Keir Starmer if the starting gun on the race for No 10.

We’re sweating more than ever – this is how to stay dry

I saved £560 a month without sacrificing fun – this is how

Six easy food swaps to up your fibre intake

I spent the day with a damp expert – his cheap ways to keep your home dry

Eight simple ways to reset your sleep, according to experts

The seven biggest mistakes people make when lifting weights

I’m an ageing expert, these are the biggest mistakes people make when retiring

Lessons on living to 100 from Sir David Attenborough

Navigating hot and sticky weather is often a sensory and social nightmare

With summer approaching, Dr Adil Sheraz of the British Association of Dermatologists, explains why we sweat and what we can do about it.

Why do we sweat?

Sweating is an important part of thermoregulation. When you sweat and it evaporates off the skin, it will take the latent heat with it.

Sweating is an important part of thermoregulation. When you sweat and it evaporates off the skin, it will take the latent heat with it.

We’re covered in three to four million sweat glands and the majority produce a sweat made up of just electrolytes and water. In other words, completely odourless.These eccrine glands function from birth to keep us cool.

When does sweat smell?

Glands in the armpit, groin and scalp operate differently.

They’re under the control of hormones and the glands contain lipids and potentially fatty esters.

The bacteria on our skin will feed off these fatty acids and lipids and cause the odour.

At 55, I thought my night sweats were due to menopause – but it was cancer

Are we sweating more now?

It is not just the weather impacts how we sweat…

The bigger you are (in height, weight or muscle mass), the more surface area you will need to sweat on in order to cool down.

This is why men tend to sweat more than women and why you sweat more when you gain weight.

Medical conditions like diabetesand thyroid problems will also cause increased sweating.

Certain dietary items, including caffeine, processed foods and spicy foods can also trigger the chemicals in our body which cause us to sweat more.

When does it matter?

If it’s impacting your daily life, you will likely have some form of hyperhidrosis and need to speak to a doctor to determine further.

Primary hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating with no underlying cause.

Secondary hyperhidrosis means there’s a condition or illness causing the sweating.

There are two main ways to tell the difference.

Sweating with secondary causes tends to happen all over the body rather than just localised to your palms or armpits.

Primary hyperhidrosis tends to switch off when you’re sleeping as the neurons stop firing. This doesn’t happen with secondary hyperhidrosis.

How to manage sweat

Wear natural or wicking fabrics that prevent sweat patches, or clothes that are cooling for the skin.

One that contains aliminimium is advised as it’s well known for blocking and plugging our sweat ducts.

Where possible reduce dietary causes like caffeine and spicy foods.

Can I save money without giving up fun?

When it comes to financial planning, I’ve always lived month to month, but recently I’ve wanted to be slightly more serious. So I spoke to a range of financial experts for the easiest, idiot-proof ways to be savvier with money – without just hibernating.

Print out your bank statements“This is the hardest step but you’ve got to know what’s coming in and out, down to the pound,” says financial coach Ian Dempsey. You’re more likely to remember what’s on there, and pay attention to it on paper.

Draw an image of what you’re saving for“Anything that requires discipline is much easier to achieve when you [can picture] the end goal,” says Ruth Power, from the Financial Management Bureau.

Go on a money date

If you’re in a relationship, for 30 minutes once a month, take a notebook to the pub/cafe and talk about money with your partner.

They are designed to be compulsive. Removing them gives you an extra layer of resistance.

Marketing emails are designed to reach you when you’re likely to spend money.

How it went when Kasia followed the expert advice

I delete Vinted and only re-download it when I actively want to replace something for my son that he’s grown out of.

I’m no longer buring my head in the sand. Sections of my bank statement flash into my mind when I go to use the Uber app.

Money dates have been uncomfortable. We did have a small argument about buying own-brand beans versus Heinz for example, but scribbling down numbers we want to save has also been exciting.

I have found it easier to be mindful about spending and broke some unhelpful habits, like associating walks with always getting a coffee.

How the UK currently saves

The average person in the UK has £16,067 in savings in 2025.

However, 2 in 5 Britons have £1,000 or less in savings. A quarter have £200 or less.

1 in 6 UK adults (16 per cent) have no savings at all, equating to around 8.4 million people.

Men are estimated to have 82 per cent more in savings than women.

Almost three in 10 (28 per cent) of adults state saving money is a habit.

The truth is, I’m never going to be someone with five side hustles and the financial savvy to become a bitcoin billionaire. But I’m no longer thinking, “where did my salary go?”. The small changes have, over time, made a difference to my bank account, but also my mind and self confidence. KASIA DELGADO

The truth is, I’m never going to be someone with five side hustles and the financial savvy to become a bitcoin billionaire. But I’m no longer thinking, “where did my salary go?”. The small changes have, over time, made a difference to my bank account, but also my mind and self confidence.

Six easy swaps to increase your fibre intake

We asked the experts why it’s so important to include enough fibre in our diets, and how to do it without totally overhauling our diets…

Why fibre is important

Fibre isn’t a fad nutrient. It’s been consistently linked to better health outcomes for decades. Unlike protein, which the majority of people already get enough of, fibre is something most of us (96 per cent) are significantly lacking.  NICHOLA LUDLAM-RAINE, SPECICIALIST REGISTERED DIETITIAN AND AUTHOR

Fibre isn’t a fad nutrient. It’s been consistently linked to better health outcomes for decades. Unlike protein, which the majority of people already get enough of, fibre is something most of us (96 per cent) are significantly lacking.

The small diet tweaks to make

Beans, lentils and chickpeas are fibre powerhouses, with around 6-8g per half-tin. If you find beans tricky to digest, start with microdosing them for a week and gradually build it up to half a can at a time.

One of the simplest changes you can make is to switch to wholegrain versions of everyday carbs. Swapping two slices of white bread for wholemeal adds around 3g of fibre.

How to add fibre to your diet

The skin of some foods can contain up to 50 per cent of the total fibre. Just make sure it’s safe to eat.

Level up the snacks

Berries, raw vegetables with hummus, or a small handful of nuts are all easy fibre wins.

Ludlam-Raine adds a spoon of mixed seeds to porridge, cereal, yoghurts, soups and salads.

EASY WAYS TO ADD FIBRE TO YOUR DIET

Add in, don’t take away

A few extra handfuls of fibre-rich ingredients might be all that’s needed to take your meals from average to fibre-full. Small changes are key because they’re more sustainable and better tolerated by the gut. Increasing fibre too quickly can cause bloating or discomfort.

One in four people in the UK is living with mould and/or damp in their home…

David Prince, a leading damp surveyor who travels across the country treating mould, spends the day with The i Paper writer Eleanor Peake.

Britain’s damp problem is one of the worst in Europe.

Private renters are disproportionately affected, with 45 per cent currently battling symptoms of damp.

From 2015 to 2024, British winters were 16 per cent wetter than in previous years.

By 2070, UK winters are projected to be up to 30 per cent wetter.

The house I visited with David Prince – a private rental

Renters are desperate for a resolution to their ongoing damp issue.

David notes that although the bathroom has an extractor fan, the room wasn’t being ventilated efficiently.

The hot air from the bathroom was floating towards the coldest part of the building (the bedroom) and turning into water as it hit the cold bedroom walls.

This was an internal ventilation issue, other houses have an external issue. When the guttering is overgrown the water has to go somewhere else, sometimes seeping back into the brick.

The houses most at risk

Victorian terraces, or those built in the 1910s, are more likely to have rising damp – where the water seeps through the foundation of the house.

Modern houses are often built with concrete ring beams, one of the coldest materials to build with. The damp turns to condensation just by hitting the walls.

Only a small number of damp specialists – around 250 – are registered with the Property Care Association (PCA) in the whole of the UK. This means that a majority of people in the UK are receiving quotes and recommendations about damp from building surveyors who aren’t qualified to give a diagnosis, says Prince.

The golden rules for managing damp

The most common issues can be solved by simple tweaks.

Start with the outside. When it’s raining, have a walk around your building to see if the gutters are pouring water down the wall, or water is being trapped in some way.

Make sure you have good ventilation in key wet rooms: kitchen, bathroom, utility, and toilets.

Open all your windows every day for a short period of time to force natural ventilation – even on cold days.

Never place furniture, or even pictures, on an external wall if it suffers from mould. It helps retain moisture.

How to reset your sleep

Irregular sleep has been linked with poorer cardiovascular health, metabolic disruption, inflammation and mood imbalances.If your sleep has fallen out of whack, this is what the experts recommend. From personalised ‘sleep windows’ to unhelpful bedtime routines.

It helps the brain feel safer and more predictable around sleep, which is important for people with insomnia. When sleep and wake times are consistent, that clock stays well aligned. When sleep timing is all over the place, the body clock becomes confused… dr ZOE GOTTS, CONSULTANT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AT THE LONDON SLEEP CENTRE

It helps the brain feel safer and more predictable around sleep, which is important for people with insomnia. When sleep and wake times are consistent, that clock stays well aligned. When sleep timing is all over the place, the body clock becomes confused…

The changes to make

Find your sleep window

When do you naturally start to feel tired? Aim to allow your body to sleep within that timeframe most nights.

Wake at the same time

Pick a wake-up time you can stick to and anchor everything around that, says Dr David Garley, sleep expert.

Get out into sunlight

Exposing yourself to daylight soon after waking helps to sync your circadian rhythm, says Dr Garley.

How to reset your sleep

Regulate your nervous systemMany people are running on exhaustion but still in a state of high alert, so might not be able to rest when needed, says Dr Gotts. Gentle routines, reduced evening stimulation, and calming the body can make a huge difference.

Don’t spend too long in bedIf you cannot sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, ideally out of the bedroom, and find a relaxing and distracting activity to do while you wait for the natural urge to return.

The tweaks to make to reset sleep

Look at your bedtime

Don’t presume earlier to bed (ie. more time in bed) equals better sleep. The timing needs to fit you.

It might mean going to bed later

Set an alarm to anchor the wake-up time, then choose a bedtime that allows you to fall asleep easily and aim to sleep solidly within that time.

Too much preparation can increase pressure around sleep so a short and consistent routine is far more effective.

Weight training has a host of benefits, but only if it’s done correctly.

We asked personal trainers the common mistakes that people make when lifting – especially for the first time or early on in their strength journey – and how to avoid them.

Priotising weight over form

When the load is too heavy, form usually breaks down, the wrong muscles take over, and the risk of injury goes up. If you can’t control the lowering part of the movement, keep good posture, or move through the full range, you’re compromising. CELEBRITY TRAINER AND PT AIMEE LONG

When the load is too heavy, form usually breaks down, the wrong muscles take over, and the risk of injury goes up. If you can’t control the lowering part of the movement, keep good posture, or move through the full range, you’re compromising.

The mistakes you could be making

If you’re reaching for the same pair of dumbbells each week you’re likely just maintaining muscle, not building.

You need adequate support for your ankles, without overly cushioning your arches.

Not timing your rest

PT Nancy Best’s advice is to take 90 seconds of downtime before picking your weight back up.

Progress does not happen during the workout itself; it happens afterwards when your body repairs and rebuilds.

Progress does not happen during the workout itself; it happens afterwards when your body repairs and rebuilds.

Poor sleep, not eating enough calories or protein, or training the same muscles hard every single day can hinder recovery and leave you constantly exhausted, says Long.

Not choosing the right exercises

An effective programme is built around variety.

Ensure your training includes each movement for the upper and lower body.

PT Luke Worthington recommends a push/pull programming.

Upper body push targets the shoulders or chest and upper body pull typically works the back.

Lower body push includes squats and leg press whereas pulls include deadlifts and hinges.

Perfect the movements before increasing the weight.

Best recommends Nike Metcons or Converse for a flat, stable surface.

Aim to eat 1.4-2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight if you’re regularly exercising.

When you’re comfortable you can increase the weight, number of sets or reps, or range of motion to progress each lift.

I reversed my osteoporosis with one hour of weight-lifting a week

The eight biggest mistakes we make when retiring

Psychologist and author Dr Denise Taylor says we shouldn’t sleepwalk into retirement, nor stop walking, just because everyone else has.

The mistakes we make when retiring

Many clients tell me their biggest regret was spending too little when they were healthiest and most able to enjoy it.

Boredom in retirement is misunderstood. It’s rarely about having nothing to do. It’s about having time without meaning.

People prepare financially and practically, but don’t do the psychological work of leaving well.

Waiting to plan what’s next

Once the structure of work disappears, people can slip into a narrower way of being. Start sketching out possible paths at least two years ahead. Even rough ideas about what you might want to explore – creative projects, volunteering, learning. DR DENISE TAYLOR

Once the structure of work disappears, people can slip into a narrower way of being. Start sketching out possible paths at least two years ahead. Even rough ideas about what you might want to explore – creative projects, volunteering, learning.

Common mistakes she sees

Not preparing as a couple

Discuss how much time you want together, and what kind of lives you’re moving towards, rather than assuming it will naturally align.

Trying to stay busy

Without noticing what drains your energy, activity becomes a way of bypassing the deeper adjustment.

Treating it as an ending

People can find themselves psychologically stranded. Days begin to blur into one another.

Retiring because everyone else is

For a generation raised to expect retirement at a certain age, default timing can feel normal.

The timing is personal.

The mistake is retiring without questioning whether that timing actually fits your own life. It ignores your relationship with work, your health and your finances.

I'm ready for retirement but my wife won’t leave her job – it's driving us apart

1For some a gradual shift is best like working fewer days or changing role, slowing down.

2Experiment before you leave. Taking a sabbatical or reducing hours can show you how retirement might feel.

3Prioritise a small number of meaningful anchors: one regular commitment, one place where you feel known and one activity.

4Slow it down psychologically – question default timing, resist expectations and ask yourself what kind of transition you are actually stepping into.

The national treasure has celebrated his centenary

For all the inspiring insight into nature that Sir David Attenborough has given us, he has also shown us how to age well. Here, Chief Features Writer Kasia Delgado looks into his lifestyle, and the tips he’s shared to live to 100.

Putting your feet up is all very well, but it’s very boring, isn’t it?

Putting your feet up is all very well, but it’s very boring, isn’t it?

In the last two years alone, Attenborough has done voiceovers on a number of projects, including Wild London, and a National Geographic Disney film, Ocean.Although his workload has remained high, he did acknowledge in 2017, that as he ages, he sometimes finds it harder to recall correct words as quickly as he did before.

In his 90s, Attenborough has cut back on red meat, and begun eating an increasingly vegetarian diet.Whether as he said, he “simply lost the taste” for meat, or whether it was an environmental or health reason, the NHS advises that eating a lot of red and processed meat increases your bowel cancer risk at any age.

Six lessons on living to 100 from Sir David Attenborough

Attenborough has previously said he has “never done exercise” in an official capacity.

But he has kept active by going for walks in Richmond, where he lives.

Interviewers who have been to his home have also mentioned him practically skipping down the stairs of his house.

David Attenborough's 16 best TV moments (you will definitely cry)

When Sir David’s wife Jane died in 1997, the couple’s adult daughter Susan moved in with her father. He said at the time: “I’m quite used to solitude in the wilds but, no, an empty house is not what I enjoy.”

He’s also been known to respond personally to fan letters and maintain relationships with people who admire him. He has no iPhone or email address and instead prefers to communicate by handwritten letter.

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living

This is despite the fact that Rayner, who was forced to quit the Cabinet last year, is still being probed by HMRC after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on an £800,000 property in the well-heeled area of Hove, East Sussex.

According to those familiar with Rayner’s thinking, she is not pushing this idea personally, although they acknowledge that MPs are looking at a number of different scenarios depending on how events play out.

Operation Bring Back Burnham

The Prime Minister is facing a perilous few days after Labour was annihilated in the local elections last week.

Catherine West, a former minister, publicly indicated over the weekend that she will stand against him as a “stalking horse”, widely seen as an attempt to flush out the main contenders including Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary.

However, earlier on Monday, she appeared to back down from her threat. She’s now collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the Prime Minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September – a move interpreted of being persuaded to pull back from the brink by Burnham supporters.

The prospect of a longer timetable would allow time for the Greater Manchester Mayor to potentially return to Parliament and join a leadership contest. Although, Burnham could still be blocked by the Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), which voted eight to one not to let him stand in a by-election in January.

On Sunday, Rayner publicly called for his return as she accused Starmer of “toxic cronyism”. She said that blocking Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in January was “a mistake” – a view she reiterated during a speech on Monday to the Communication Union Workers’ conference.

Over the weekend, Starmer triggered widespread ridicule amongst many Labour MPs when he insisted he would not step down and planned to govern for a decade.

It is understood that Rayner as prime minister would be prepared to let Burnham stand as a MP and return to Parliament – and even stand aside for him if she cannot turn around Labour’s dire poll ratings.

The offer has piqued the interest of several Burnham-supporting MPs, including prominent members of the Socialist Campaign Group, who are all desperate to prevent Streeting, seen as on the right of the Labour movement, from replacing Starmer.

Many MPs are concerned that Burnham will continue to be blocked by the NEC, which is stuffed with Starmer loyalists keen to shore up the Prime Minister’s position.

Rayner is the only route back for Burnham

A series of embarrassing U-turns and defeats in the House of Commons has been severely weakened the Prime Minister’s authority, but he has soldiered on without facing a challenge. However, Starmer is now facing calls to resign from more than 40 MPs since since Labour lost almost 1,500 council seats in the local elections last week.

Allies of Burnham were panicked by West’s unlikely announcement over the weekend as they are concerned it may trigger a leadership contest before he can get back into Parliament. Some are now forming alternative plans to ensure that a candidate from the soft-left wing of the Labour party replaces Starmer in case Burnham fails to return in time.

Some are even encouraging Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and current Energy Secretary who is popular with the membership, to stand amid reports support for Rayner is ebbing away.

But others still believe Burnham is the party’s best option – even if it means backing Rayner in the first instance.

A Labour MP, who was previously supporting Burnham, said: “The only route in for Burnham is Rayner. We are doomed if we do not support Rayner.” The MP said Starmer had to be challenged immediately otherwise the momentum to replace him would dissipate.

Another MP added: “The only way Burham can get back to Westminster is if Rayner is PM. Burnham has been letting the soft left think there is a route in when there is not.

“Rayner will let him return to Westminster and even promise to hand over the reins to him in the event that she can’t turn the polls around. She knows this will be a challenge because of the ongoing attacks from the right-wing press so there is a decent chance it would quickly fall into his lap.

“The only difficulty with this plan is three Labour prime ministers in quick succession would not be ideal, but at the moment we can see no other option.”

Rayner would be ‘compelled’ to stand against Streeting

However, this extraordinary offer has not convinced all the MPs currently backing Burnham. Louise Haigh, the powerful leader of the soft-left Tribune group, which commands the support of up to 100 MPs, is against the idea and still believes the party should be patient and wait until Burnham is back in Parliament.

She is understood to have reached out personally to Rayner in an attempt to stop her fomenting dissent with the Burnham-supporting contingent.

Sources close to Rayner say her statement last night was an attempt to flush out Streeting. She has told allies that if he stands in the contest she will feel “compelled” to stand against him.

Allies of the Health Secretary claim Streeting is prepared to stand for the leadership if Starmer’s premiership “falls apart”, but insist he will not be the “first mover”.

Today, Westminster was gripped with growing rumours that a Labour MP is set to resign to make way for Burnham’s return.

Last week, The i Paper revealed that allies of Burnham had offered peerages to MPs in a bid to persuade them to stand aside. However, Burnham would still have to be approved as a candidate by Labour’s NEC and win a by-election, all of which would take at least six weeks.

Rayner’s offer to Burnham is not the only sign of co-ordination between their camps. The i Paper can also reveal that several commissions to develop new left-wing policies have been jointly set up by allies of both Burnham and Rayner.

A source said that friends of Miliband are also involved in the commissions, which are exploring new approaches to the economy, defence and justice. Miliband has previously been linked to the position of chancellor of the exchequer in any future Burnham government.

Last week, it was reported that Miliband had privately suggested to Starmer that he should consider setting out a timetable for his departure.