Tag: News Story

STORY

The Climate Change Committee has warned that the slow pace of electrification is putting the UK’s climate targets at risk. Its 2026 progress report to Parliament said the UK had made substantial long-term progress on emissions but needed faster action on electric vehicles, heat pumps and industrial electrification.

The committee said around 93% of UK emissions are now outside the electricity supply sector, meaning that further progress depends increasingly on transport, buildings, industry, land use and other sectors. It said making electricity cheaper would help households and businesses move away from direct fossil fuel use.

The report said UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.8% in 2025 and are now about 50% below 1990 levels. It also warned that the Government’s current delivery pathway falls short of the UK’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution and relies on areas of policy which carry delivery risks.

STORY

The Department for Work and Pensions has brought new powers into force allowing stronger action against people who refuse to repay benefit debts after leaving the benefits system. The measures include the possible use of driving bans and direct deductions from bank accounts where debts remain unpaid.

The Government said updated letters would begin going out to debtors from today, warning them to contact the department and arrange repayment. Ministers said the powers are part of wider work to recover money lost through fraud, error and debt.

The DWP has said the measures form part of a programme intended to deliver £14.6 billion in savings over five years from fraud, error and debt activity. The department has presented the powers as a way to pursue people who can pay but refuse to do so, rather than those unable to meet repayment demands.

STORY

Nigel Farage is facing renewed questions over a £5 million gift from a Reform UK backer after a series of broadcast interviews in which he declined to give detailed answers about how the money had been used. The Reform UK leader has said the payment was an unconditional private gift and has rejected suggestions that he is required to explain his spending.

The matter is being examined by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, with questions focused on whether the gift should have been declared under the rules applying to MPs. Farage has offered different explanations for the payment, including that it was linked to personal security and that it recognised his work on Brexit.

Labour has also asked the police and the National Cyber Security Centre to examine Farage’s claim that information about the gift became public because of a Russian-linked hack. Farage has not reported the matter himself and has accused critics of intruding into a private financial arrangement.

STORY

Andy Burnham’s economic plans are facing scrutiny from investors and economists as he moves closer to the Labour leadership. Bond market figures have warned that a new prime minister would inherit constrained public finances and would face pressure if he appeared to be preparing a major increase in borrowing.

Burnham has previously spoken about the need for a different approach to economic policy, including greater investment in infrastructure and support for public ownership in some sectors. During his Makerfield campaign he also committed to Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules and Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance.

The choice of chancellor is expected to be one of the first signals of the direction of a Burnham Government. Names being discussed include Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband, with observers watching whether the new administration would prioritise reassurance to markets, public investment or a wider change in economic strategy.

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Keir Starmer has authorised civil service access talks for prospective Labour leadership candidates as Andy Burnham prepares for the possibility of entering Downing Street. Starmer and Burnham held an hour-long off-site meeting, their first since Burnham won the Makerfield by-election and returned to the House of Commons.

The talks are intended to allow Burnham, and any other qualifying candidate, to receive briefings on the work of Government before the leadership process is complete. Starmer told ministers that he wanted an orderly transition and that he would try to make the handover as smooth as possible.

Burnham is now the front-runner to replace Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister. If no rival emerges with sufficient parliamentary support, he could take office before Parliament rises for the summer, although the formal leadership process still needs to run through its scheduled stages.

STORY

Darren Jones has ruled out standing for the Labour leadership and has endorsed Andy Burnham, leaving the former Greater Manchester mayor with a clearer route to becoming prime minister. Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, had been discussed as a possible candidate who could force a contest over Burnham’s policy platform.

Jones said he had been reassured after speaking to Burnham about economic policy. He told broadcasters that Burnham was likely to be the next prime minister and that he would win a contest of Labour members if one were held. His decision follows the withdrawal of other possible contenders and strengthens expectations that the leadership contest may be resolved quickly.

Keir Starmer announced on Monday that he would step down after pressure from within Labour and poor polling for the party. Under Labour’s timetable, nominations are due to open in July and Burnham could enter Downing Street in mid July if he remains the only candidate with enough support from Labour MPs.

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The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered StubHub UK to refund more than 50,000 customers after finding that the company broke consumer law by failing to show mandatory fees upfront. The regulator said the ticket marketplace must repay more than £590,000 to customers and pay a financial penalty close to £900,000.

The CMA said some customers buying tickets for gigs and sports events between April and December 2025 were required to pay unavoidable service and delivery fees that were added only at the final stage of checkout. The regulator said the practice, known as drip pricing, could prevent customers from comparing prices accurately at the start of the buying process.

Affected customers will not need to take action, with StubHub UK expected to contact them and issue refunds automatically to the card used for the transaction. The CMA said StubHub UK had admitted breaking the law, settled early and received a 40 per cent reduction in its financial penalty.

STORY

The Government has announced up to £60 million for two new artificial intelligence research labs led by Oxford and University College London. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the labs would focus on making AI cheaper, more reliable and easier for businesses and public services to use.

The Government said the research would be backed by UK Research and Innovation and access to large scale computing power. The labs are expected to examine fundamental changes in how AI systems operate, including open source technologies that could run on more widely available hardware and methods that do not rely on vast centralised computing capacity.

AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the funding was intended to help Britain set the agenda for the next phase of AI development. The announcement forms part of the Government’s wider argument that public investment in research can support economic growth, productivity and national security.

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The Government has announced plans for new rules aimed at preventing products sold in Great Britain from contributing to illegal deforestation overseas. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the measures would cover commodities linked to rainforest loss, including soy, palm oil, cocoa and rubber.

Businesses trading in those goods would be required to check that their supply chains were not linked to illegal deforestation. The Government said the products affected are found in everyday items such as chocolate, cooking oils, shampoo and cosmetics, and that voluntary corporate action alone could not address the scale of the problem.

Nature minister Mary Creagh said tackling global deforestation was one of the most effective ways to address climate change and protect wildlife. The British Retail Consortium welcomed the announcement, while also calling for a pragmatic approach to enforcement given related EU rules due to take effect in Northern Ireland.

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The Work and Pensions Committee has welcomed the Government’s Connect to Work programme but warned that inconsistent delivery could undermine its success. The cross party committee described the scheme as a positive evolution in supporting people with disabilities or health conditions into employment.

The programme is intended to help people with the most challenging barriers to work, with the Government forecasting that it will support 300,000 people over the life of the scheme. MPs said local authority delivery could allow support to reflect local business needs, skills and services, but warned that inconsistent support from Whitehall had created uncertainty for some providers.

Committee chair Debbie Abrahams said disability was not a niche issue and that one in four people were disabled or had a health condition that could affect them at work. The committee called on the Government to set out how it will address variations in delivery and avoid a postcode lottery.