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NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 16 May 1925

16 MAY 1925

The Prime Minister, speaking at Oxford, referred to the Unionist party’s policy on the question of housing, insurance, pensions, and cheap electricity.

The Earl of Oxford and Asquith, addressing a National Liberal Federation gathering at Scarborough, criticised the scale of national expenditure. There was only one way of escape, he said, from our financial difficulties, and that was not by imposing taxation, but by cutting down expenditure. Liberals had no objection to the extension and completion of the pensions system; it was their system in every one of its branches. But in view of the burden on industry at present, he should be prepared to accept a temporary abeyance of contribution, the scheme to be financed by the State for the time being.

A Socialist Bill to give power to the Board of Trade, on receipt of representations from the Minister of Health, to investigate prices, conditions of supply, costs, and profits at all stages in respect of materials in common use for the building of houses for the working classes was discussed in the House of Commons. The Minister of Health, opposing the Bill, said there was no need for the drastic treatment it sought to apply. Prices had fallen since the present Government came into office, and were practically steady. If the Government apprehended a monopoly affecting prices to an extravagant extent, they would seek from the House power to control what they would regard as an unsocial act. The Bill was rejected by 232 to 113.

May 28, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 15 May 1925

15 MAY 1925

The Importation of Pedigree Animals Bill and the Protection of Birds Bill passed third reading in the House of Lords, and the Report stage of the Agricultural Returns Bill was agreed to. Lord Newton called attention to the depression of the British film industry.

The House of Commons discussed unemployment on a Vote of £8,329,209 for the Ministry of Labour.

The London Electricity Supply (No. 2) Bill passed Report stage and third reading in the House of Commons, and the Protection of Animals Bill was read a second time.

French diplomatic circles deny that there will be any necessity, before a final settlement of the security and disarmament questions can be reached, to hold an Allied Conference at which Germany would be represented, as was suggested in a London report.

The King and Queen spent the day at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley and made a tour of the pavilions and palaces.

Sir Francis Bell has succeeded the late Mr Massey as Prime Minister of New Zealand. At a memorial service for Mr Massey held in Westminster Abbey, the King, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Connaught were represented.

Sir Rider Haggard, the well-known novelist, died in London.

Socialism, housing, and temperance were among the subjects discussed at a conference in London of Women’s Unionist organisations.

Over 1,000 delegates of the National Liberal Federation, meeting at Scarborough, discussed Free Trade, arbitration and disarmament, dereliction, and pensions.

May 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Huge mobile signal boost across UK countryside now covering area larger than 66,000 football pitches [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 28 May 2025.

Tourists and hikers exploring the UK’s most renowned beauty spots and national parks can now benefit from a huge boost in mobile coverage, helping them plan routes and receive live weather updates for safer outdoor adventures.
- UK Government upgrades over 50 existing mobile masts across England, Scotland and Wales including in UK’s most renowned natural parks, such as Snowdonia and Lake District
- Milestone set to boost tourism and local growth, as UK Government continues to deliver on growth mission as part of Plan for Change
- Wales sees biggest connectivity boost with remote parts of Berwyn Mountains, Brecon Beacons and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley now covered by all four UK networks
Tourists and hikers exploring the UK’s most renowned beauty spots and national parks can now benefit from a huge boost in mobile coverage, helping them plan routes and receive live weather updates for safer outdoor adventures.

Over 50 mobile masts, initially only used to connect EE customers and those calling 999, have now been upgraded to provide coverage from all mobile network operators. The upgrade of existing masts will limit the visual and natural impact on the environment, causing less disruption to the surrounding areas.

These masts cover a footprint equivalent to the size of 66,470 football pitches, and over half of them are providing new coverage to areas of outstanding natural beauty or national parks.

The upgrades will benefit thousands of local residents and many more visiting the surrounding areas, bringing fast and reliable 4G networks to remote communities previously plagued by poor signal. This will support local tourism and economic growth, the core mission of the Government’s Plan for Change.

The rollout is part of the Shared Rural Network programme led by the UK Government and mobile network operators to improve connectivity in rural communities across Britain.

Areas set to benefit from the boost include the North York Moors National Park, parts of the Southern Upland Way, and the Shropshire Hills.

Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

The growth potential of our areas of outstanding natural beauty must not be stunted by patchy internet.

This milestone is a major step forward for better connectivity for all corners of the UK meaning everyone can reap the benefits of the digital age. From boosting tourism and business opportunities to providing safer outdoors experiences for visitors to our treasured countryside.

These upgrades mark significant progress in the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost economic growth across the UK, as outlined in the Plan for Change. To expand coverage even further, 50 more government funded sites in England, Wales and Scotland are also being targeted for upgrades by March 2026.

Ben Roome, CEO of Mova said:

This is a big milestone for rural mobile coverage. Thanks to strong collaboration between government and industry, 50 publicly funded masts are now live — including this one in Upper Chapel — helping to close the mobile coverage gap for residents, businesses and visitors.

These masts build on the success of the mobile operators hitting their industry-funded targets a year early. Since the Shared Rural Network began, coverage from all four operators has grown from 66% to 81% of the UK — an increase the size of Wales and Northern Ireland combined.

With further sites being upgraded and built over the next two years, more people in rural areas will benefit from better mobile coverage.
May 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Scotland’s Rural Regions Get Major Mobile Connectivity Boost [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Scottish Office on 28 May 2025.

Thirteen upgraded masts to transform rural connectivity across the Scottish countryside.

The UK Government has today [Wednesday 28 May 2025] announced a significant boost to mobile connectivity across Scotland’s rural areas, with 13 mobile masts upgraded to provide coverage from all four mobile network operators.

Previously, these masts only connected EE customers and those making 999 calls. The upgrades will transform connectivity in remote areas of Scotland that have long suffered from poor signal.

The areas benefiting from the upgrades include Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, and the South of Scotland – including parts of the Southern Upland Way.

This major connectivity improvement will cover an area equivalent to thousands of football pitches, providing reliable 4G service to residents and visitors in these remote communities.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

“This significant mobile connectivity boost, funded by the UK Government, will help people in some of Scotland’s most rural communities. It will support local businesses, and improve access and safety for residents and visitors alike. Improving digital connectivity – including in our most remote communities – is a key part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change – it is vital to delivering jobs and economic growth. And upgrading existing masts rather than building new ones, there will be minimal environmental impact in what are some of Scotland’s most scenic areas.”

The upgrades are part of the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network programme, a partnership with mobile network operators aimed at improving connectivity in rural areas throughout Britain. The programme has already delivered coverage to more than 95% of the UK’s landmass, with further improvements planned until early 2027.

The enhanced connectivity will bring numerous benefits to Scottish communities, from supporting local tourism and business opportunities to enabling more flexible working arrangements and improving access to essential online services.

Scotland areas are:
- Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
- Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
- Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
- Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
For more information on the Shared Rural Network please visit https://srn.org.uk/
May 28, 2025
NEWS STORY : Government Unveils Major Support Package to Empower SME Housebuilders

STORY

The Government today announced a sweeping set of reforms and financial measures designed to turbocharge smaller housebuilders and accelerate the delivery of thousands of new homes across England. Unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, the package simplifies planning rules, eases regulatory burdens and unlocks fresh funding for small and medium-sized enterprises, aiming to deliver 1.5 million homes under the Government’s Plan for Change milestone.

Under the new framework, developments of up to nine homes will benefit from faster, officer-led decisions and streamlined Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, removing the need for many small-scale schemes to return to full planning committees. Meanwhile, sites of 10–49 homes will enter a newly created “medium site” category, exempt from the Building Safety Levy and subject to simplified environmental rules, cutting costs and speeding up delivery.

To bolster land supply and financing, Homes England will reserve more of its estates exclusively for SMEs, and a forthcoming National Housing Delivery Fund will offer long-term credit facilities and lending alliances tailored to smaller builders. Additionally, a pilot “Small Sites Aggregator” will launch in Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham to bundle hard-to-develop plots and attract private investment, with a focus on creating new social rent homes in underused urban areas.

The announcement is backed by a further £100 million in SME Accelerator Loans from an expanded Home Building Fund, £10 million for local authorities to recruit environmental specialists, and a £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Fund to spur digital solutions for site delivery. Together, officials say, these steps will restore SMEs’ share of the market—once 40% in the 1980s—and support the training of the next generation of construction apprentices.

Angela Rayner said, “For decades, smaller housebuilders have been hamstrung by red tape and high costs. Today, we’re levelling the playing field so they can deliver the homes our communities desperately need and get working people onto the housing ladder.”

May 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government backs SME builders to get Britain building [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 May 2025.
- Smaller housebuilders to benefit from simpler rules and faster decisions as full plans to modernise planning committees unveiled
- New reforms across land, regulation and finance backed by cash-boost to help SME housebuilders build the houses we need
- Supports the government’s Plan for Change milestone of delivering 1.5 million homes, creating new jobs and driving economic growth in every region
Thousands of homes will be built faster on smaller sites across the country as complex planning rules are streamlined, onerous regulatory burdens eased, and financial firepower is provided to SME builders.

The current system makes it far too difficult for smaller builders to get spades in the ground – with a small site of 10 homes jumping through the same planning hurdles as one with 100 or more.

Smaller firms, which provide local jobs and train eight out of 10 construction apprentices, have seen their market share shrink since the 1980s, when SME builders delivered 40% of the country’s homes.

Today’s changes will help turn this around, driving up competition across the sector and helping deliver the Plan for Change milestone of 1.5 million homes, so more working families and young people can achieve the dream of homeownership.

Today’s proposals include:
- Faster decisions for small sites: Minor developments of up to nine homes will benefit from streamlined planning and eased Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements, with faster decisions being taken by expert planning officers, not planning committees;
- A new ‘medium site’ category: Sites between ten to 49 homes will face simpler rules and fewer costs – including a proposed exemption from the Building Safety Levy and simplified BNG rules, making it easier to deliver biodiverse habitats on these sites, delivering a win-win for nature and development;
- More land and financing options for SMEs: Homes England will release more of its land exclusively to SMEs, and a new National Housing Delivery Fund to be confirmed at the spending review will support long-term finance options, such as revolving credit facilities and lending alliances.
- A new pilot to unlock small sites for SMEs: the Small Sites Aggregator pilot in Bristol, Sheffield and the London Borough of Lewisham will unlock sites that would otherwise not have been developed, while attracting private investment to build new social rent homes. Building on a model developed by Lloyds Banking Group’s Social Housing Initiative, the Small Sites Aggregator will help tackle the housing shortage, address unviable small plots of land, and create local jobs supporting the government’s Plan for Change.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“Smaller housebuilders must be the bedrock of our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and fix the housing crisis we’ve inherited – and get working people on the housing ladder.

“For decades the status quo has failed them and it’s time to level the playing field.

“Today we’re taking urgent action to make the system simpler, fairer and more cost effective, so smaller housebuilders can play a crucial role in our journey to get Britain building.”

Full details are being set out today for the modernising of planning committees – ensuring elected councillors focus on the most significant proposals and larger developments rather than small-scale projects or niche technical details, while more faster decisions are made by expert trained planners.

Under these plans, once a development has been agreed in principle technical details won’t keep going back and forth to committees – accelerating housebuilding and saving council planning departments time and money.

Further support announced today for local builders includes:
- £100 million in SME Accelerator Loans to help smaller firms to grow and invest using part of the £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund announced in December.
- £10 million for councils to fund more specialists to speed up environmental assessments, getting spades in the ground faster.
- A £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Fund to support innovation in small site delivery, for example through use of new data tools.
It comes as the government unveiled its plans to train up to 120,000 new apprentices, including within construction – ensuring the industry has what it needs to get building.

The wide-ranging package for SMEs today builds on the government’s planning overhaul so far, with the new National Planning Policy Framework alone expected to drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years and add £6.8 billion to the economy by 2030.

CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn said:

“We strongly welcome the government’s announcement today that it will pilot the Small Sites Aggregator in Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham.

“Through the Social Housing Initiative, we’re proud to have helped ignite this innovation in housing development and finance – unlocking the small, brownfield sites in our communities which are lying empty yet have immense potential to provide good quality homes in our towns and cities.

“This exciting partnership between the public and private sectors will increase investment at pace into the new, genuinely affordable homes that are needed across the UK.”

Further information:

The government has published a new working paper on planning thresholds for small and medium housing sites.

The government has also launched a consultation reviewing Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This will be open for 8 weeks.

As part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also launching a new consultation on reforming planning committees and their role in the planning process. This consultation includes detailed proposals for a national scheme of delegation which would direct the majority of minor and technical applications to planning officers, freeing up committees to consider the most complex and controversial by categorising applications into Tier A or B. Tier A applications will go to officers, while Tier B applications have the ability to be considered by committees if necessary. It will be open for 8 weeks.

The Home Building Fund is administered by Homes England and is designed for SME housebuilders in England that are struggling to access loans from traditional lenders. Last year the government announced a £700 million extension to the Fund.

The new National Housing Delivery Fund will provide a range of funding tools to support SMEs, including support for revolving credit facilities. Further details will be announced at the Spending Review.

This government has also launched a £1.2m PropTech Innovation fund to inject innovation into small site delivery. Examples of potential solutions include the use of data and tools to provide certainty on future infrastructure capacity for SME housebuilders, meaning they can make the case for investment easier.

The government is making available a further £10m this financial year to help local planning authorities implement BNG, on top of £35m provided in previous years.

The government is also announcing today that it will consult on how we apply BNG for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) to provide consistent regulations for developers – many of them who are already delivering biodiversity gains at scale. Measures will be in place from May 2026.
May 28, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 14 May 1925

14 MAY 1925

The death of Lord Milner was announced.

In the House of Lords, Earl Buxton asked whether the reports upon slavery which the Secretary for Foreign Affairs undertook to call for in 1923 had yet been received, and whether the League of Nations had asked for information. Viscount Cecil replied that, while the Government were anxious to carry forward to the utmost of their power the suppression of slavery, the situation had undoubtedly been modified by the fact that the League had undertaken to make inquiries into the subject. The Government would act with and through the League of Nations.

The Rating and Valuation Bill, the main objects of which are to simplify the method of making and collecting rates and to promote uniformity in valuation, passed second reading in the House of Commons.

The Earl of Oxford and Asquith, who received the Freedom of the City of London, replying to the toast of his health proposed by the Prime Minister, referred to the innate generosity of the English people and English politicians.

Mr Churchill, who was the guest of the British Bankers’ Association, said the prolongation of the embargo on the export of gold would have been taken in every part of the world as a mark of weakness in our financial system. He also spoke on pensions in their relation to industry, and appealed for a strong public opinion to support the Government in combating the upward pressure of expenditure.

A monument has been unveiled at Chanak Fair to the memory of the New Zealand troops who fell in Gallipoli.

At the Canadian shipping inquiry, Mr Preston was cross-examined regarding statements made in his report alleging unfair discrimination against Canadian ports by the steamship combine in the North Atlantic. There were several lively passages with counsel.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Liverpool parade incident – Apply for Compensation [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 27 May 2025.

We offer our sympathy to all those who have been affected by this horrific incident.

Victims injured in this incident can apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for compensation.

Compensation is payable to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.

You do not need a paid representative, such as a solicitor or claims management company, to apply for compensation. Free independent advice may be available from the Victim and Witness Information website or other charitable organisations.

If you have been directly affected by this incident you can find out more about the Scheme and apply online.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : IMF concludes annual Mission to assess UK economy – upgrading UK growth and endorsing fiscal strategy [May 2025]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 27 May 2025.

IMF upgraded the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 to 1.2%, saying that “an economic recovery is underway”.

Today the IMF released the concluding statement of their findings from the UK Article IV Mission – their annual review of the UK’s economic and fiscal outlook and policies.

As part of this, the IMF upgraded the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 to 1.2%, saying that “an economic recovery is underway”.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

The UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first three months of this year and today the IMF has upgraded our growth forecast. We’re getting results for working people through our Plan for Change – with three new trade deals protecting jobs, boosting investment and cutting prices, a pay rise for three million workers through the National Living Wage, and wages beating inflation by £1,000 since the election.

The IMF endorsed the government’s fiscal strategy as striking ‘a good balance between supporting growth and safeguarding fiscal sustainability’; the strategy focuses on delivering stability through ironclad commitment to our robust fiscal rules and a single fiscal event a year, while increasing investment and pursuing ambitious structural reform to boost productivity and growth. Growth is the solution to the challenges we face, and this government is going further and faster to unlock growth that is sustainable in the long term.

The IMF also highlighted support for the government’s Growth Mission, and that it “focuses on the right areas to lift productivity”. Through the Growth Mission, the government is restoring stability, increasing investment, and reforming the economy to drive up prosperity and living standards across every region of the UK.

The IMF welcomed the government’s spending plans as “credible and growth-friendly”, noting that “they are expected to provide an economic boost over the medium term”. The government’s upcoming Spending Review, Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy will deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the UK’s growing and high potential sectors.

The IMF’s full UK Article IV surveillance report will be published in the summer.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Isle of Man discuss measures against tax avoidance and evasion [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 May 2025.

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and the Isle of Man Treasury Minister agree to joint working to crack down on promoters of tax avoidance schemes.

Isle of Man Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson MHK held a virtual meeting with the UK Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray MP earlier today (27 May).

Following the meeting they issued this joint statement:

The UK and the Isle of Man have a long-standing history of collaboration in the fight against tax avoidance and evasion, and in our successful cooperative efforts to promote transparency while ensuring that our tax systems are robust and fair.

The UK and the Isle of Man were amongst the early adopters of the Common Reporting Standard, which facilitates the automatic exchange of financial account information between jurisdictions, and are both working on the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework which will see the automatic exchange of information on crypto-assets. Both jurisdictions have also recently implemented measures in relation to the Global Base Erosion Rules under the OECD’s Pillar 2 Global Minimum Tax.

Both governments are committed to taking robust action to deter and disrupt the activities of those who seek to promote marketed tax avoidance schemes that threaten our tax systems and the reputations of our well-established and globally-attractive service sectors. This proactive stance safeguards tax revenues and ensures fairness for all taxpayers.

Recognising the need to go further, and noting the UK Government’s ongoing consultation on steps to crack down on promoters of marketed tax avoidance schemes, we are pleased that we have been able to agree today to explore ways to further enhance information flows, joint working and other ways in which tangible benefits for both jurisdictions can be achieved.

We look forward to continuing our partnership and achieving tangible results in our shared objective of combatting tax avoidance and evasion.

May 27, 2025