Tag: News Story

STORY

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised Labour figures who have suggested that Britain should rebuild its relationship with the European Union, arguing that the debate showed the party lacked a clear plan for the country. Her comments came after Wes Streeting called for the UK eventually to rejoin the EU and Andy Burnham indicated support for a closer European relationship.

Badenoch said that policies such as removing VAT or green levies from energy bills would be harder to pursue inside the EU, presenting the issue as a question of domestic policy freedom. Her intervention sought to draw a contrast between the Conservative Party’s approach to Brexit and Labour’s internal dispute about future relations with Brussels.

The comments show that Europe is again becoming a live dividing line in national politics. Although the Government has not adopted a policy of rejoining the EU, senior Labour figures’ remarks have allowed opposition parties to argue that the party is being pulled back into the Brexit debate.

STORY

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has dismissed speculation about a Labour leadership challenge as “froth and nonsense”, saying the Government should focus on delivery rather than internal debate. Her comments came after a series of public interventions from Labour figures following the party’s poor local election performance.

Keir Starmer has resisted calls to stand down and has described his Government as a long-term project. Ministers loyal to the Prime Minister have argued that Labour must demonstrate discipline and concentrate on policy delivery, particularly on public services, economic growth and living standards.

The political pressure has nevertheless continued, with Wes Streeting saying he would stand in any future leadership contest and Andy Burnham seeking to return to Parliament. Any formal Labour leadership challenge would require sufficient support from MPs before a contest could be triggered.

STORY

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he would stand in any future Labour leadership contest, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a difficult period for the Government. Streeting, who recently resigned from the Cabinet, said Labour needed a clearer political direction and argued that the party should hold a full contest if the leadership became vacant.

Streeting also used his intervention to call for a closer relationship with the European Union, describing Brexit as a serious mistake and saying Britain should ultimately seek to rejoin the bloc. The comments place Europe back near the centre of Labour’s internal debate at a time when the party is also facing pressure from Reform UK in several areas that voted heavily for Brexit.

The remarks come as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham seeks a route back to Westminster through the expected Makerfield by-election. Starmer has said he intends to continue in office, but the public interventions from senior Labour figures have underlined the scale of unease within the party following recent election setbacks.

STORY

The UK Health Security Agency has said the Government is continuing to work with the NHS, local authorities and UK Overseas Territories in response to the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. UKHSA said people currently at Arrowe Park and those isolating at home are being closely monitored, with a further individual leaving Arrowe Park to complete their 45-day isolation period at home after clinical and public health assessments found it was safe to do so.

A medic from Ascension Island who developed symptoms has arrived at the High Consequence Infectious Disease unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust for specialist assessment. UKHSA said the individual is not a confirmed case, but had been medically evacuated as a precaution because hantavirus cases can deteriorate rapidly and Ascension Island does not have a specialist infectious diseases unit.

UKHSA is also working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and UK Overseas Territories to relocate nine asymptomatic contacts from St Helena and Ascension Island to the UK, where they are expected to complete their self-isolation at Arrowe Park. Dr William Welfare, UKHSA’s Director of Health Protection in Regions, said teams would continue to support all those affected and added that the risk to the general public remains very low.

STORY

The Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has called for stronger action on social media harms after responding to the Government’s consultation on growing up in the online world. The committee said there was strong and consistent evidence of significant harm to individuals from social media use, particularly among young people.

Dame Chi Onwurah (in photo), the committee chair, said the status quo was not acceptable and argued that responsibility for preventing harm should not rest primarily on young people or parents. The committee has called for more effective enforcement of existing age restrictions and for ministers to revisit previous recommendations on misinformation and harmful algorithms.

The intervention comes as ministers consider further online safety measures in the new parliamentary session. Any legislation in this area is likely to attract close scrutiny over the responsibilities placed on technology companies, the role of parents and schools, and the balance between child protection, free expression and digital innovation.

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The Conservative Party has suspended Adam Kent, its group leader at Worcestershire County Council, after Conservative councillors joined Greens, Liberal Democrats and independents to remove Reform UK from minority control of the authority. Green councillor Matt Jenkins has now become council leader.

Reform UK gained minority control of Worcestershire County Council last year, but its period in charge was marked by internal conflict and financial pressure. The council received £59.9 million of emergency Government funding and increased council tax by 9% as it sought to avoid bankruptcy.

Conservative Party chair Kevin Hollinrake (in main photo) said the national party had not approved an arrangement with the Greens. Kent had argued that local councillors needed to act in response to instability at the council, making the episode a notable example of how national party discipline and local government pragmatism can come into conflict.

STORY

The Prime Minister has set out plans to put apprenticeships on a more equal footing with university degrees, arguing that the current system has held too many young people back. The Government says small businesses will be able to take on young apprentices with training fully funded from August.

Ministers say the reforms are intended to remove barriers to opportunity and give employers the workforce they need to grow. The announcement forms part of a broader post-16 education and skills agenda, with apprenticeships being presented as a central route into secure work rather than a secondary option.

The policy will be judged by whether it increases the number of high-quality apprenticeship places and improves outcomes for young people. Businesses are likely to welcome additional support, but the Government will still need to show that funding, training standards and employer participation are strong enough to deliver sustained change.

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The Government has confirmed the first 130 universities and colleges approved to offer shorter, flexible courses under a new student finance system. Applications are due to open in September 2026, with ministers saying the reform is designed to help adults who are balancing education with work, childcare and other responsibilities.

The change forms part of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and will allow people to access student finance for smaller modules as well as traditional full degrees. Ministers argue that the approach will make higher and further education more accessible to people who cannot commit to a full-time qualification at the outset.

The policy is linked to the Government’s wider skills agenda and its efforts to improve workforce flexibility. Its effectiveness will depend on demand from learners, the range and quality of courses offered, and whether employers recognise modular study as a credible route for career progression.

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The Government has said that eleven foreign far-right figures have been blocked from entering the UK ahead of the Unite the Kingdom march in London. Ministers said the exclusions were made to protect public order and prevent individuals from using the event to promote extremist views.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said those who sought to spread hatred or violence would face the full force of the law. The Government has described the weekend as one of the busiest for policing in recent years, with thousands expected to gather in the capital and counter-protests also anticipated.

The decision places public order and extremism policy back at the centre of national politics. It also highlights the balance ministers must strike between protecting freedom of expression, maintaining public safety and preventing foreign activists from using UK events to amplify extremist messages.

STORY

A Bill giving ministers the power to nationalise steel companies has been introduced to Parliament, with the Government saying it wants to safeguard the long-term future of the UK steel industry. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill received its First Reading on 14 May.

The legislation would provide a route for companies such as British Steel to be brought into public ownership where ministers judge that a public interest test has been met. The Government has said that steel capability and capacity are firmly in the national interest, particularly because of the sector’s role in infrastructure, defence and wider industrial policy.

The Bill will be debated further at Second Reading, when MPs will be able to examine the scope of the proposed powers. Its progress will be watched closely by industry, unions and opposition parties because it raises wider questions about industrial intervention, public ownership and the future of strategic manufacturing in the UK.