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  • NEWS STORY : Planning reforms to remove consultation requirement for major projects

    NEWS STORY : Planning reforms to remove consultation requirement for major projects

    STORY

    The Government is pressing ahead with planning reforms intended to speed up decisions on major infrastructure projects, including energy, transport, reservoirs and data centres. Ministers said the removal of mandatory pre application consultation for nationally significant projects would help cut delays and reduce costs.

    The change is due to take effect from 24 July and forms part of the Planning and Infrastructure Act. The Government said the reforms could save developers up to £1 billion during this Parliament and cut up to a year from parts of the approval process.

    Ministers argue that the current system has become too slow for projects needed to support energy security, housing and growth. Critics are likely to question whether reduced consultation risks weakening public involvement and increasing local opposition later in the process.

  • NEWS STORY : Government signs £4.6 billion fighter jet contract with Italy and Japan

    NEWS STORY : Government signs £4.6 billion fighter jet contract with Italy and Japan

    STORY

    The Government has announced a £4.6 billion contract with Italy and Japan to support development of a next generation combat aircraft. Ministers said the agreement marked a major step in the trilateral programme to bring a sixth generation fighter jet into service from 2035.

    The contract forms part of the Global Combat Air Programme and follows the Government’s Defence Investment Plan. The UK has said it will invest £8.6 billion in the programme over four years, with ministers linking the project to national security, industrial capacity and highly skilled jobs.

    The programme is designed to replace the Typhoon and strengthen co operation with key defence partners. The Government said the contract would support British industry and help maintain the UK’s role in advanced combat air technology.

  • NEWS STORY : JD Vance Embroiled in New Diplomatic Incident after Saying UK has been failed by political leadership

    NEWS STORY : JD Vance Embroiled in New Diplomatic Incident after Saying UK has been failed by political leadership

    STORY

    United States Vice President JD Vance has opened a new diplomatic incident after saying Britain has been failed by its political leadership for a long time, as Washington prepares to work with another UK Prime Minister. Vance’s comments come after chaotic 250 year anniversary celebrations in the US and serious allegations about corruption and fraud in the Trump administration.

    Vance said he hoped the next UK Prime Minister would be able to deliver the structural change that voters wanted. He also said the United States would continue to value the UK relationship and work closely with whoever leads the Government.

    The comments follow earlier criticism from President Donald Trump, who described Burnham as extremely liberal and questioned UK energy policy. Downing Street has sought to maintain close relations with Washington despite differences over energy, Ukraine, Gaza and wider foreign policy.

  • NEWS STORY : Burnham rules out early general election after expected move to Downing Street

    NEWS STORY : Burnham rules out early general election after expected move to Downing Street

    STORY

    Andy Burnham has ruled out calling an early general election if he becomes Prime Minister later this month, saying Labour already has a mandate from the 2024 general election. The Prime Minister in waiting said he would focus on delivering change rather than immediately returning the country to the polls.

    Burnham has also said he wants to establish a stronger presence for central Government outside London, including a proposed “Number 10 North” in Greater Manchester. He has presented the idea as part of a wider plan to shift power away from Whitehall and towards regions and local areas.

    The comments are intended to reassure Labour MPs and markets that the leadership transition will not be followed by an immediate election campaign. Opposition parties are continuing to argue that a change of Prime Minister without a general election would deny voters a direct say.

  • NEWS STORY : Ukrainian drones hit oil terminal in major attack on St Petersburg region

    NEWS STORY : Ukrainian drones hit oil terminal in major attack on St Petersburg region

    STORY

    Ukrainian drones struck the St Petersburg region overnight in a major long range attack on Russian energy and military infrastructure, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian sources. The assault hit an oil terminal in St Petersburg and the Baltic Sea port of Vysotsk in the surrounding Leningrad region, as Kyiv continued its campaign against facilities linked to Russia’s war effort.

    St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city had come under a large scale drone attack, although he did not identify specific targets. Local reports cited by Reuters said a fire had broken out at the city’s oil terminal, while Leningrad regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said drones had struck the port of Vysotsk, around 105 miles north west of St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland.

    Drozdenko said 72 drones had been shot down over the Leningrad region. Russian officials also reported further drone activity south of St Petersburg, with the governor of Pskov region saying more than 30 drones had been intercepted overnight and that there had been minor damage and injuries, including at a factory in Velikiye Luki.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had carried out strikes on Russian targets in the region. He said the operation had included attacks on an oil terminal and a military site in Kronstadt, a naval base west of St Petersburg.

    The attack forms part of Ukraine’s wider strategy of using long range drones against Russian energy infrastructure, fuel supplies and military facilities. Ukraine has described such operations as a way of imposing costs on Russia for its continuing invasion, while Russia has accused Kyiv of targeting civilian and industrial sites inside its territory.

  • PRESS RELEASE : NHS patients get faster access to medicines under new pilots [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : NHS patients get faster access to medicines under new pilots [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 2 July 2026.

    NHS patients could access cutting-edge medicines potentially months earlier under a series of pioneering pilot schemes.

    • A series of pilot schemes will test ways to get innovative medicines to NHS patients faster, and support investment in the UK
    • The pilots have been developed through a joint government and industry taskforce, delivering on the commitments set out in the UK-US pharmaceutical arrangement
    • Nine additional medicines have already been approved for NHS patients in England and Wales since changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold were announced in April

    NHS patients could access cutting-edge medicines potentially months earlier under a series of pioneering pilots designed to speed up and improve the fairness of how new treatments reach patients.

    A joint taskforce of government, the pharmaceutical industry and NHS representatives developed the pilots in a 10-week ‘sprint’ process, with input from patient organisations. They will begin testing new approaches to medicines pricing, access and adoption as early as this September.

    One of the pilots will look specifically at how innovative treatments that have already met safety, quality and clinical standards can be given to eligible NHS patients more quickly. This includes new therapies for rare conditions.

    The announcement builds on changes made to NICE’s cost-effectiveness threshold in April 2026, which have already led to 9 additional medicines being approved for NHS patients in England and Wales.

    These approvals span a range of serious and life-limiting conditions, including blood disorders, autoimmune diseases and several cancers – including brain tumours that could affect young children and advanced stomach cancers for people with limited treatment options.

    Together, they could give thousands of patients faster access to potentially life-changing medicines, offering new hope to people who previously had few or no effective treatment options.

    As the new mechanisms become established, NICE expects that up to 5 extra medicines could be approved each year, compared with the previous arrangements, building on its track record of approving more than 90% of all medicines it assesses.

    Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray, said:

    When a new medicine is proven to work, patients shouldn’t have to wait.

    These pilots are designed to give life-changing treatments to NHS patients faster and more fairly than ever before, while ensuring taxpayers continue to get value for money.

    That’s good for patients, good for the NHS and good for Britain’s place as a world leader in life sciences.

    Other pilots agreed by the taskforce include:

    • a new approach to account for the productivity benefits of new medicines, such as recognising the value of enabling people who receive treatment to return to work
    • a mechanism allowing industry to co-invest in screening, testing and the full care journey of patients, to better enable the NHS to offer innovative therapies at speed and scale as soon as they are recommended by NICE
    • dedicated regional funding to improve patient access to priority medicines, supporting local systems to provide faster and wider uptake of transformative innovations

    These initial pilots support the government’s commitment to double innovative medicines spending from 0.3% to 0.6% of GDP over the next decade – as set out in the UK-US pharmaceutical arrangement – to deliver faster, fairer and equitable NHS patient access to cutting-edge therapies. 

    Pharmaceuticals is a globally competitive industry that creates highly skilled research, manufacturing and commercial jobs across the UK. The government is committed to building on the country’s strengths in life sciences by backing innovations that deliver significant benefits for patients and wider society, supporting both the government’s growth mission and the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan for England and the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

    Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: 

    We are in an era of rapid advances in new preventative measures, treatments and even cures. We have a responsibility to get the most important of these into the hands of doctors and patients as quickly as possible. These pilots will help us do exactly that.

    Improving outcomes for patients, giving doctors more tools to treat and beat disease, and delivering the innovations that drive our ambition to become the leading life sciences country in Europe – that’s how we’re working to deliver an NHS which is fit for the future.

    Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said:

    The measures announced today are the product of intensive and focused effort between industry and government to ensure NHS patients get the medicines they need. While there is more work to be done, today’s news represents an important step on the path to achieving our shared goal of making the UK a world-leading environment for patient access and life sciences investment.

    We have already seen industry respond positively to the government’s commitment earlier this year to increase investment in innovative medicines. I hope that these delivery measures continue to build investor confidence and enable us to make further progress together.

    Dr Scott Purdon, Chair, Charity Medicines Access Coalition (CMAC), said:

    Today’s announcement, committing to a series of pilots designed to speed up and improve access to proven and potentially life-changing medicines, is welcome news.

    We are especially pleased to see a focus on faster, fairer access to treatments. For people living with life‑threatening or life‑limiting conditions every day matters – delays aren’t just frustrating, they can shorten lives and worsen quality of life.

    The inclusion of patient expertise and representation in shaping the pilots is encouraging, showing a system that is starting to listen and act on what matters most: equitable outcomes for patients.

    We look forward to working with DHSC and partners to ensure these pilots break down barriers to approval and uptake, and most importantly help people get the treatments they need, when they need them.

    Nick Meade, Chief Executive, Genetic Alliance UK, said: 

    The vast majority of 7,000 rare conditions affecting people in the UK don’t have a cure or treatment. Many of the most serious rare conditions are progressive, and every day people’s conditions are progressing past the point where treatments can be given. Getting treatments into managed access programmes without waiting for a full NICE assessment could mean people get treated months earlier – this time saved has the real potential to save lives.

    These pilots could level the playing field for rare condition treatments, overcoming some of the fundamental inequities they face in our current system due to their intrinsic low-evidence bases. We welcome this challenge being addressed and look forward to seeing how this works in practice.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Fastest infrastructure building in a generation as planning rules overhauled [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Fastest infrastructure building in a generation as planning rules overhauled [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2 July 2026.

    New reforms confirmed today to speed up the approval process for major infrastructure projects.

    • Planning reforms could cut pre-application time by up to 12 months and save developers £1 billion on major infrastructure projects  
    • Green-lit projects already set to create 82,000 jobs and generate more clean energy annually to power homes and businesses
    • Government on track to decide 150 major infrastructure projects this Parliament, nearly triple the last Parliament

    Britain is set to build wind and solar farms, nuclear plants, reservoirs and new transport links at the fastest pace in a generation under major infrastructure planning reforms.

    Delivered through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act, changes confirmed today (Friday 3 July), and coming into effect later this month, will scrap mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) – cutting up to 12 months from the planning process and potentially saving industry £1 billion this Parliament.  

    In their place, developers will receive earlier technical support and meaningful advice from the Planning Inspectorate before applications are submitted, with examinations streamlined to focus on the key issues that matter – getting projects through the system faster and with greater certainty. Over 80 prospective applicants have already benefited from early advice to help shape their proposed applications since the launch of the Inspectorate’s new pre-application service.  

    Since taking office, the government has made 41 decisions on major infrastructure projects – including Mona Offshore Wind Farm, Gate Burton Energy Park and the Lower Thames Crossing – double the previous Parliament’s tally at this stage. 

    These major infrastructure projects could create over 82,000 jobs and generate more clean energy annually to power millions of homes and businesses across the country. Thanks to new reforms, more projects will also enter the pipeline at a faster rate – putting the government on track to exceed its target of at least 150 major infrastructure decisions this Parliament.

    Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:

    This government is determined to make the UK a world leader in building infrastructure.

    Our reforms will get work started quicker on wind farms, solar panels and transport links to connect our communities and grow our economy.

    Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

    Britain cannot afford to wait years for the clean energy infrastructure needed to strengthen our energy security and grow the economy.

    Every turbine, every solar panel, every cable we connect helps protect families from volatile fossil fuel markets and paves the way for a new era of clean energy for our country.

    Today’s reforms come as the Act’s wider reforms are already keeping major NSIP projects moving. New limits on totally without merit legal challenges were recently tested in the Stonestreet Green Solar case, where the court rapidly dismissed a meritless claim – saving a solar project that will power around 42,000 homes from months of unnecessary delay.  

    Much-needed infrastructure like data centres can now opt in to the NSIP regime that allows developers to rapidly deliver these projects, if granted, through strict, fixed timeframes rather than facing endless delays locally. Ministers have already directed three data centre proposals into the NSIP regime at Wapseys Wood in Buckinghamshire, Ampthill Road in Bedford, and New Barn Lane in Dartford.  

    As part of the wider package of reforms already underway, local authorities are also being supported to keep pace with the accelerating pipeline of infrastructure, as they can now set their own fees to recover costs for NSIP-related work and bid for up to £1 million through Round 3 of the Innovation and Capacity Fund.    

    The Planning Inspectorate is already putting these changes into practice, with East West Rail among the first NSIP projects to benefit from more structured pre-application support and an ambition to deliver a more targeted examination process cutting overall timescales. In addition, onshore wind projects seeking permission through the Town and Country Planning Act are also set to be freed from the mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for the first time since 2015.  

    The news comes as Examining Authorities made 20 recommendations to ministers on NSIPs last year, an 18% increase compared to the previous year, and these applications were processed more quickly than statutory maximum timescales. They have also recruited more inspectors, enabled by £2.2 million additional funding provided since 2024, building on £48 million committed last year to strengthen planning capacity across the public sector with around 1,400 new recruitments this Parliament.

    Head of Infrastructure Decisions and Applications Service at the Planning Inspectorate, David Price said:

    “The Infrastructure Service at the Planning Inspectorate has worked closely with MHCLG throughout the development of the Planning and Infrastructure Act and is ready to support its successful implementation. We are committed to working collaboratively with applicants, stakeholders and delivery partners to help realise the ambitions of the legislation and support a more targeted infrastructure consenting process.”

    Further information

    Changes set out in the government’s consultation response on NSIP reforms include:  

    • New guidance on the pre-application period to support the removal of statutory consultation.  
    • Redesigning services provided by the Planning Inspectorate to support developers during pre-application with earlier technical input and meaningful advice from inspectors.  
    • Encouraging the earlier submission of Local Impact Reports (LIRs), including draft LIRs, alongside relevant representations to inform the Examining Authority of Principal Issues and focus on key local impacts.  
    • Supporting efficient and streamlined examinations through greater focus on Initial Assessments of Principal Issues (IAPIs). This is when Examining Authorities identify the key issues for examination and use them to focus the structure and conduct of examinations on the key issues, while continuing to consider all relevant matters.  
    • A more streamlined process for other planning routes by removing mandatory pre-application consultation requirements that currently apply to certain onshore wind projects seeking permission through the Town and Country Planning Act. Legislation currently dictates that up to and including 100MW facilities are evaluated by local authorities rather than the centralised NSIP process.

    We will set out further details of the new guidance shortly, including on the pre-application period to support the removal of the statutory consultation, which will come into effect on 24 July.

    An implementation plan to streamline infrastructure planning was published earlier this year.

    The application period for Round 3 of the Innovation and Capacity Fund has now closed and the government is assessing the applications. The fund offers additional financial support for local authorities to engage in the NSIP process.

    The government is committed to fast-track decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure by the end of this Parliament. This is nearly triple the 59 Development Consent Order decisions taken in the previous Parliament, and exceeding the total of 138 NSIP decisions made since 2011.  

    A record 21 decisions were made on major infrastructure in the first year of this Parliament.

    The significant pro-growth changes in the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will see up to £7.5 billion injected into the UK economy over the next decade.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Almost 20,000 new homes unlocked after breakthrough by government Water Delivery Taskforce [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Almost 20,000 new homes unlocked after breakthrough by government Water Delivery Taskforce [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 2 July 2026.

    18,771 new homes in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and the Home Counties closer to being built.

    Families will benefit from more than 18,000 new homes following a landmark breakthrough between the government and Anglian Water – the latest victory in the government’s drive to tear down the blockers and get Britain building. 

    The government’s Water Delivery Taskforce stepped in as Anglian Water previously objected to several large-scale developments due to concerns over wastewater treatment capacity. The Taskforce brought together local planning authorities, regulators and Anglian Water to agree a path forward. 

    Through the new approach, Anglian Water is working with developers and planning authorities at an earlier stage in the process to enable large scale developments of over 500 homes, allowing infrastructure upgrades to be funded and delivered in a phased way over multiple investment cycles.

    The taskforce has opened up conversations around a potential new water recycling centre for Grantham – plus the existing construction of a strategic pipeline and 20-million-litre storage reservoir to allow for thousands more homes in the years ahead.  

    This is key for the East of England, one of the driest regions in the country but with one of the fastest growing populations and highest potential for growth, and follows previous Taskforce success in North Sussex, where around 21,000 homes have already been unlocked through collaborative work to resolve a four-year pause on development. 

    These successes for the Water Delivery Taskforce show how strong collaboration and partnership between government, industry and local communities is accelerating the UK’s infrastructure revolution and delivering the housing the country needs.  

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: 

    This is another success story for the government’s Water Delivery Taskforce, which has already unblocked over 55,000 homes with solutions driven by pragmatic thinking and long-term strategy.  

    We are unlocking growth and getting Britain building while protecting our precious water supplies. Under this government’s reforms, we are securing a brighter future with new homes and new jobs across the country.

    Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer at Anglian Water said:  

    Given the concentration and scale of growth in the East of England, we are at the forefront of many major infrastructure projects, including two new reservoirs, our Strategic Interconnecting Pipeline, hundreds of miles of modern pipes, water recycling infrastructure and nature-based solutions, such as wetlands.  

    We are working with regulators to chart the path between environmental compliance and supporting growth, and through our work with Defra’s Water Delivery Taskforce, Anglian Water is working with developers and local planning authorities at an earlier stage in the process to enable large scale developments of over 500 homes. This is an encouraging step forward in enabling us to deliver infrastructure upgrades over multiple investment cycles.

    Earlier this year, the government also announced over 130,000 new homes will be built faster thanks to the New Homes Accelerator, established in 2024 to get spades in the ground more quickly by providing local areas with additional planning capacity and removing regulatory hurdles. The government is also driving forward action to secure long-term water resilience, clean up waterways and modernise the water sector through a once-in-a-generation programme of reform.  

    Having already reversed anti-supply measures in the National Planning Policy Framework, the government’s planning overhaul is beginning to bear fruit, with a 15% increase in new housing starts compared to last year. This is on top of the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act and further proposed changes to the Framework – the biggest rewrite of planning rules in over a decade.

    Notes to editors: 

    The developments closer to being built are:  

    • Spitalgate Heath, Grantham, Lincolnshire: 3,400 homes, 300,000 sq ft of employment space, and 86,000 sq ft for the local centre. 
    • Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community: 7,750 homes and 25 hectares of employment space. 
    • Beccles, East Suffolk: 721 dwellings, plus 5 hectares of employment land for a primary school, retirement community and community hub with retail space.  
    • Baldock, Hertfordshire: 3,200 homes and 16 hectares of employment. 
    • Dunton Hills, Essex. 3,700 homes.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General launches free Rule of Law lesson plans for every school in England and Wales [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General launches free Rule of Law lesson plans for every school in England and Wales [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 2 July 2026.

    Free, classroom-ready lesson plans on the rule of law are now available to every school in England and Wales, following a new partnership between the Attorney General’s Office, Oak National Academy and the Association for Citizenship Teachers.

    The lesson plans which aim to teach young people about their rights and the legal system, have been developed with expert educators and shaped by feedback from teachers. Resources range from introductory lessons for five-year-olds exploring why rules exist, to more complex material examining contemporary threats to the rule of law. 

    Each lesson is accompanied by task worksheets, explainer videos and quizzes. The key stages one to four plans are free for teachers to download from the Oak National Academy’s website: www.thenational.academy. 

    Oak National Academy is used by around three-quarters of England schools and is backed by the Department for Education. The new resources are a practical exploration of what citizenship teaching could look like in light of wider curriculum review. The rule of law is identified as a Fundamental British Value by the Department for Education.

    To mark the launch, the Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC and Advocate General for Scotland Catherine Smith KC visited Ark Blake Academy in Croydon on Thursday 2 July 2026, observing a Year 9 lesson using the new resources and taking questions from students. 

    The Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC, said:

    Every child deserves to understand the laws and rights that protect them. Until now, too many schools have lacked the high-quality resources to teach that with confidence. These free lesson plans, developed with Oak National Academy and the Association of Citizenship Teachers, change that.

    Visiting Ark Blake and seeing students engage so enthusiastically with discussions about the importance of the rule of law – a fundamental British value – is exactly why this work matters.

    John Roberts, CEO of Oak National Academy said: 

    It’s been brilliant to work with the Attorney General’s Office to develop these resources, and give teachers the tools to bring important conversations about the rule of law into the classroom.

    By helping pupils understand their rights, the protections the law provides, and the role they play in society, these lessons will support young people to become informed, active citizens.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman [July 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 July 2026.

    The Prime Minister met His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman in Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister reiterated his solidarity with Oman and all our partners in the region, as well as his gratitude for Oman’s mediation efforts which contributed to the deal between the US and Iran.

    They discussed efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and provide shipping with the reassurance needed to transit through the Strait. The Prime Minister recognised that Oman’s support was vital, and they agreed to continue to work closely.

    They agreed to stay in touch.