SubscribeThe Economist ProLog inSkip to contentSubscribeThe Economist ProLog inWeekly editionWorld in briefOpinionUnited StatesFinance & economicsBusinessChinaAsiaEuropeBritainMiddle East & AfricaArtificial intelligenceGamesundefined undefinedSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribeManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outBritain | NewsletteThe conference “was billed as the launchpad for a new era of British conservatism”, writes Sonny Loughran, our Britain correspondent. “It felt more like the end.”Photograph: Getty Images Jul 21st 2026|5 min readWelcome back to Blighty. In this week’s newsletter:Reuse this contentMore from BritainAndy Burnham hits the ground strollingBritain’s new prime minister promises a lot but reveals little The War Room newsletter: Burnham’s doomsday to-do listA new prime minister inherits Britain’s defence headache. Anton La Guardia, our diplomatic editor, looks at the task aheadHow Britain’s new prime minister can revive LabourHis supporters are more northern and more Green than Sir Keir’sThe final score on Sir Keir Starmer’s two years in officeSome progress, but all too ploddingTours of British post-war housing are a quiet hitPerambulations of the anti-Instagram kindSir Keir’s bucket list The prime minister’s final few weeks sum him up