Tag: News Story

STORY

MPs are due to conclude the Commons debate on the King’s Speech with a session focused on defence readiness. The House of Commons is sitting from 11.30am, with questions to the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall before Prime Minister’s Questions at midday.

The debate marks the final Commons stage of scrutiny of the Government’s legislative programme following the State Opening of Parliament. Defence readiness has become a central political issue as ministers face questions over security, spending priorities and the UK’s response to instability overseas.

The Commons will then sit again on Thursday, with questions to Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle and a second reading of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill. Parliament is then due to rise for the Whitsun recess at the end of Thursday’s business and return on 1 June.

STORY

Three heritage funding schemes have opened for expressions of interest, with £48 million available this year for places of worship and at-risk historic buildings. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the schemes would support urgent repairs, restoration and community use of heritage assets.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will offer up to £23 million this year, while the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund will provide up to £15 million and the Heritage Revival Fund up to £10 million. Ministers said the funding would be targeted at areas of high deprivation, where fundraising for building works can be particularly difficult.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross announced the launch during visits to Grimsby Minster and Sir Moses Montefiore Synagogue. The Government said the funding formed part of the wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund and was intended to support local pride, community services and the reuse of historic

buildings.

STORY

The Government has announced £96 million in regional funding to create tens of thousands of construction placements across the country. The Department for Education said the funding would support learners starting construction courses from September and help address skills shortages in the sector.

Ministers said the construction industry currently has more than 35,000 vacancies, with over half linked to a shortage of required skills. The funding is being presented alongside reforms to vocational qualifications, including a move from older qualifications such as BTECs towards a clearer system of V Levels, T Levels and A Levels from 2027.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said the Government wanted to place hands-on learning on a level with academic routes. The policy is linked to the Prime Minister’s ambition for two thirds of young people to be in an apprenticeship, higher training or university by the age of 25.

STORY

More than 10,000 residents, as well as hospitals and charities, are expected to benefit from Government funding to improve heat networks. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said £15.6 million would be used to upgrade 94 older and inefficient heat networks across England and Wales.

The work will include replacing leaky pipes, insulating pipework and installing new interface units so residents have greater control over their heating. A further four heat network projects in England will share £25 million to support cleaner and more affordable heating systems.

Energy Consumers Minister Martin McCluskey said heat networks would play an important role in lowering bills and strengthening energy security. The announcement forms part of the Government’s Warm Homes Plan and follows commitments to fund the Green Heat Network Fund and the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme to 2029/30.

STORY

UK inflation fell to 2.8% in the year to April, easing more than expected after lower household energy bills offset some of the upward pressure from fuel prices. The fall from 3.3% in March was reported after the April energy price cap reduction fed through into household bills.

The figures will be watched closely by ministers and the Bank of England as they assess the pressure on household finances. Food inflation also slowed, while economists said the softer headline number reduced the immediate likelihood of a further increase in interest rates.

The improvement may prove temporary, with fuel costs rising sharply following disruption in the Middle East and further pressure possible later in the year. For the Government, the figures provide some relief, although ministers remain under pressure to show that lower inflation is being felt in living standards.

STORY

Rachel Reeves has announced that the Government will give the Competition and Markets Authority stronger powers to investigate suspected price gouging during national or international crises. The Chancellor said the new anti-profiteering framework would allow regulators to act more quickly where companies are accused of exploiting sharp increases in costs.

The proposed powers would allow regulators to scrutinise company margins during supply shocks and publish data showing how those margins have changed. In more serious cases, ministers could give time-limited powers to order firms to stop exploitative pricing and impose penalties.

The announcement comes as ministers face pressure over rising living costs and energy prices linked to disruption in the Middle East. The Government has also been seeking voluntary action from supermarkets on essential food prices, although the retail sector has expressed concern about the practicality of such measures.

STORY

Knife robberies have fallen by 21% across the seven highest-volume police areas, according to new Home Office figures published at the start of Knife Crime Awareness Week. The Government said robberies involving a knife had fallen from 15,918 in summer 2024 to 12,633 by March 2026.

The figures cover the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset and British Transport Police. Ministers said the fall followed work by the Home Office-led Knife-Enabled Robbery Group, which was set up in October 2024 to improve intelligence-sharing, investigations and offender management.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the figures showed what could be achieved through focused national leadership and close work with police forces. The Government said the reduction formed part of its wider commitment to halve knife crime, combining enforcement with early intervention and prevention work.

STORY

Andy Burnham has been confirmed as Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election, opening the way for the Greater Manchester Mayor to seek a return to the House of Commons. The Guardian reported that Labour’s National Executive Committee approved Burnham’s candidacy and that he was the only candidate shortlisted by the party.

The by-election follows the resignation of Josh Simons, who stood down as MP to allow Burnham to contest the seat. The contest is expected to take place on 18 June, subject to confirmation by Commons authorities, and will be closely watched because of wider speculation about Labour’s leadership and direction.

Burnham is expected to face Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, who previously contested Makerfield at the 2024 general election and came second to Labour by 5,399 votes. The by-election is likely to be seen as a major test for Labour in a seat the party has held since its creation in 1983, particularly after recent Reform gains in the area.

STORY

The Charity Commission has said £2.5 million has been recovered for the Players Foundation after an inquiry found serious mismanagement at the football charity. The organisation was previously known as the Professional Footballers’ Association Charity and was established to support former and current professional players.

The regulator said £1.9 million had been transferred from the charity’s bank account to the Professional Footballers’ Association trade union without adequate explanation or governance. It also found that the charity had allowed the union to occupy its properties rent free for several years, causing financial loss to the charity.

The Charity Commission said the transferred sum, interest and outstanding rent had been repaid after it raised concerns. It said trustees had let down the players the charity was intended to support, and one trustee had been disqualified from serving as a trustee or holding a senior management position in a charity for four years.

STORY

Plaid Cymru has used the start of the new parliamentary session to press the UK Government for further devolution following its victory in the Welsh election. The Guardian reported that the party had tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for additional justice, infrastructure and welfare powers to be transferred to the Senedd.

The move follows a major shift in Welsh politics, with Plaid Cymru taking office after an election in which Labour lost power and Reform UK became the main opposition in the expanded Senedd. Rhun ap Iorwerth’s party narrowly missed an absolute majority, leaving the new administration to define its relationship with Westminster.

The amendment is unlikely to force immediate constitutional change, but it signals that the new Welsh Government intends to test Labour’s stated openness to reform. It also creates an early political challenge for Starmer at a time when his Government is already facing pressure from within Labour and from opposition parties.