Tag: News Story

STORY

Leading chefs and restaurant figures have backed Andy Burnham’s call for a lower VAT rate for hospitality. The intervention follows the launch of a campaign arguing that VAT should be cut from 20% to 10% for pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses under pressure from rising costs.

Supporters of the campaign argue that hospitality venues are closing at an alarming rate and that tax reform is needed to help protect jobs, high streets and local economies. Burnham, who is standing in the Makerfield by-election, has made the issue part of a wider pitch about practical economic support for working communities and struggling businesses.

The issue also has clear national political implications. Reform UK has also backed a VAT cut for hospitality, making the policy part of a wider argument about who can speak most directly to small businesses, town centres and voters frustrated by the cost pressures facing everyday social life.

STORY

A senior trade union leader has criticised Labour’s net zero approach, warning that the transition risks damaging jobs in traditional industrial and energy communities. Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, reportedly accused the Government of pursuing policies that could cost employment in North Sea oil and gas and related sectors.

The criticism is politically awkward for Labour because the GMB is one of the party’s most important affiliated unions. Smith argued that clean energy policy must create secure domestic employment rather than rely heavily on imported infrastructure, and warned that some working-class voters were being pushed towards Reform UK by economic insecurity.

The Government has argued that clean energy investment will create new jobs and strengthen Britain’s long-term energy security. However, the intervention highlights the challenge facing ministers as they try to combine climate commitments with industrial policy, union support and the politics of communities that fear being left behind.

STORY

Peers are set to begin detailed consideration of the Financial Services and Markets Bill as the legislation starts its passage through the House of Lords. The Bill forms part of the Government’s wider attempt to update financial regulation and support growth in one of the UK’s most important economic sectors.

The second reading debate will allow members of the Lords to examine the main principles of the Bill, including how far ministers should go in changing regulatory rules while maintaining stability, consumer protection and confidence in the financial system. The legislation is expected to attract close scrutiny from former ministers, regulators and members with financial sector experience.

The Government has repeatedly argued that financial services reform is central to its growth agenda. However, the Bill also raises broader questions about the balance between competitiveness and caution, particularly after previous crises in which weak oversight was blamed for exposing consumers and taxpayers to risk.

STORY

MPs are due to continue scrutiny of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill as the legislation moves through its committee stage in the House of Commons. The Bill would give ministers powers to nationalise steel companies where a public interest test is met, with British Steel among the companies potentially affected by the framework.

The Government has argued that the legislation is needed to protect strategically important industrial capacity and safeguard the long-term future of UK steelmaking. Ministers have said the powers would be used only where necessary, but the Bill has become part of a wider debate over industrial policy and the proper role of the state in supporting key sectors.

Opposition MPs are expected to press ministers on cost, compensation, commercial risk and whether nationalisation would address the underlying challenges facing the industry. The legislation is one of the Government’s clearest interventions in heavy industry and is likely to remain politically prominent as it moves through Parliament.

STORY

The Timms Review into Personal Independence Payment is expanding its public engagement work after the closure of its call for evidence. The Department for Work and Pensions has launched new resources designed to help organisations run workshops with disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

The materials are intended to gather views on what PIP is for, people’s experiences of applying and how decisions are made. The Government said the review had already received 38,000 responses through its call for evidence, with the new toolkit designed to reach groups whose views may not otherwise be heard through formal consultation routes.

Sir Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, said disabled people’s experiences were vital to the review. The work is politically significant because welfare reform remains one of the most sensitive areas facing Labour, with ministers seeking to present the process as co-produced rather than imposed from Whitehall.

STORY

The Government is considering new restrictions on access to harmful social media platforms for children under 16. Reports suggest ministers are looking at an Australian-style approach, although the immediate package may focus first on tighter rules around dangerous online content, addictive features and the misuse of sexualised material involving young people.

The proposal follows pressure from bereaved parents, online safety campaigners and MPs who argue that existing protections do not go far enough. Earlier this year, the Government consulted on possible measures including time limits, curfews and controls on platform design features that encourage prolonged use by children.

The issue is likely to become one of the most contested parts of the Government’s technology agenda. Supporters argue that stronger intervention is needed to protect children from harm, while critics have warned that any age-based restriction would raise practical questions around enforcement, privacy and the ability of young people to bypass controls.

STORY

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to use a speech at London Tech Week to argue that the technology revolution must benefit the whole country rather than a narrow group of companies or already prosperous areas. The Prime Minister is due to say that artificial intelligence and new digital tools should be used to create jobs, support public services and improve opportunity across the United Kingdom.

The speech comes as the Government seeks to place technology at the centre of its wider economic and public service agenda. Ministers are expected to present AI as a tool for growth, with a particular focus on skills, employment support and the use of digital systems inside Government departments.

The intervention also comes at a politically sensitive moment for Starmer, with pressure on his leadership continuing inside Labour and the Makerfield by-election approaching. Downing Street will hope that a focus on technology and opportunity helps shift attention back towards policy delivery rather than internal party tensions.

STORY

Reform UK has raised significantly more than other parties from private donations, prompting renewed debate about political finance rules. Figures published by the Electoral Commission showed the party received around £9 million in the first quarter of 2026, outstripping Labour and the Conservatives.

The Guardian reported that much of the money came from cryptocurrency-linked donors, including Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo. Nigel Farage is also under scrutiny over a separate £5 million personal gift from Harborne, which the Reform leader has said was connected to security and his Brexit campaigning.

STORY

Downing Street has rejected a US State Department suggestion that the UK has a problem with two-tier policing following the Henry Nowak case. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the Government rejected the allegation, while stressing that the UK-US relationship remained strong.

The comments followed criticism from senior American figures about the police handling of Nowak after he was stabbed. Ministers have said mistakes can occur in public services, but that the proper response is investigation, accountability and reform rather than sweeping claims about the entire policing system.

The issue has become politically charged because it is being used by Reform UK, Conservative figures and international right-wing commentators to argue that police treat people differently because of race. The Government is trying to hold the line between acknowledging serious failings and rejecting broader claims of systemic anti-white bias.

STORY

The UK-led Operation Interflex training programme for Ukraine is moving into a new specialist phase after training more than 63,000 Ukrainian personnel. The Ministry of Defence said the programme would now expand further into areas including aviation, medical, engineering and logistics training.

Operation Interflex was launched after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and originally focused on rapid basic infantry training for Ukrainians with little or no military experience. The Government said the programme had also trained leaders and instructors, with support from international partners.

The new phase is intended to help Ukraine build longer-term military capability rather than focusing solely on immediate battlefield replacement training. The announcement comes as the UK continues to emphasise long-term support for Ukraine in talks with European allies.