UK Political and Health News: Lord Case Urges Burnham, Screen Time Study, and Executive Firings

The Daily Telegraph reports, external that the former Cabinet Secretary Lord Case is urging Andy Burnham to "be honest" with the public and, if he becomes prime minister, call an early general election. In an interview with the paper, Lord Case says Burnham is walking "a very difficult tight rope" because he has promised change but has no mandate to deliver it.

The front page of the Times, external also focuses on Burnham, reporting that he's expected to say the south is paying the price for economic failure in the north when he delivers a major speech next week. In what the paper calls Burnham's first big policy speech since Sir Keir Starmer's resignation, he's due to set out a strategy that would see Whitehall budgets slashed and money diverted to regional mayors.

A landmark study warning that screen time for babies and toddlers under two has been linked to long-term negative effects on health and quality of life is highlighted by the Guardian, external. Researchers from the universities of Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough and Aston say they are worried that the focus on teenagers' digital habits and government plans to ban under-16s from social media means there's a "baby blind spot" in policy. A Department for Education spokesperson said the government's recently published screentime guidance for parents of children aged under five provided clear and trusted support.

According to the FT Weekend, external, finance and technology firms are "rushing" to fire underperforming executives before new unfair dismissal rights come into force in the UK. Lawyers say the risk of high earners making expensive claims when a cap on pay for unfair dismissal is removed in the new year has prompted some employers to clear out what one legal director has described as the "deadwood" in senior leadership teams.