The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 20 August 2026.
Clean air is a basic right, and one we shouldn’t deny to our children.
After the ULEZ was introduced, new research shows children’s lung function improved in central London.
Tackling air pollution is about giving young Londoners the best start in life.
The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 19 August 2026.
No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.
I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.
We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again. But it needs all of us. Government will put the money in. But I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too.
Let’s get people out the cold. And let’s bring back hope.
The comments made by Jeremy Corbyn on 15 August 2026.
In the final months of his life, Jason Arday was subject to a relentless onslaught of attacks and abuse.
Jason was a human being with friends and family – but he was turned into a pawn for vicious culture wars by a cruel media industry motivated by racism and clicks.
The lessons are never learned. When will the British media face accountability for its behaviour?
Jason was much loved by those around him. May he rest in peace.
The comments made by James Cleverly on 14 August 2026.
The death of Jason Arday is tragic, and makes me so angry.
Even the most casual observer could see he was a vulnerable fantasist.
A number of people at a number of academic institutions have serious questions to answer. They put him into positions he was clearly not qualified for so they could have a black wunderkind to show off, they pushed him into the spotlight for their own benefit.
His exposure was inevitable, a case of when, not if.
His whole world fell apart.
The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 13 August 2026.
I want to congratulate everyone receiving their results today. I know there will have been a mix of excitement, nerves and relief this morning, but you should all be proud of the hard work that got you here.
It’s brilliant to see more students succeeding in T Levels, more taking maths and STEM subjects, and more young people progressing to the next stage of their education or training.
The talent is there in every town and city in this country. Our task is to match that talent with opportunity, whether that’s through university, an apprenticeship or a technical pathway that leads to a great career. That’s how we’ll build a stronger Britain, restore hope and ensure every young person can look to the future with confidence.
The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 11 August 2026.
For many people, the high streets they grew up with have been hollowed out and become unrecognisable over decades of decline. The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for.
That’s not on. I said we would improve Britain’s high streets, and that’s exactly what we are starting to do. We’re putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street. Local councils will be given the powers they need to rein in unwanted shops and bring town centres back to life.
High streets are the beating heart of local communities, but for too long Westminster has stood by while they have been in decline. This government is committed to restoring our high streets and bringing back hope across Britain.
The comments made by John Redwood on 7 August 2026.
A short loss of electrical supply plunged Manchester and the North into train chaos. Why did nationalised Network Rail not have a back up supply to keep the signals working ? In future with more variable renewables we could have more power cuts.
The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 7 August 2026.
To the people of Clacton,
I want to speak to you plainly, not only as the leader of the Conservative Party, but as someone who calls Essex home and an Essex MP who represents many of your friends and families.
I know that many of you are angry with the Conservatives. I understand why. Your last Conservative MP worked hard for Clacton, but at a national level things went wrong and we let people down. I am sorry for that. You were right to be angry, I was angry too. But being angry with the last Conservative government does not mean you deserve to be used by somebody else.
Nigel Farage has called this by-election not to help you but to help himself. Mr Farage wants the people of Clacton to settle his problems for him. He wants to point to you and say: “even after the £5 million scandal, Clacton still chose me.” That may prove something for him. I cannot see what it proves for you.
Most people cannot imagine being given £5 million. It is life-changing money. Actually, more than most lottery winners will get. But this wasn’t a lottery win. It was given to him, and the people of Clacton are entitled to ask why someone would give Nigel Farage that kind of money. More importantly, you are entitled to ask what that person expected in return.
Above all, you are entitled to have all the facts before you are asked to pass judgement. Perhaps, when you have those facts, you will decide that Mr Farage was a bit careless. That is your right. But the proper process should be allowed to finish first.
All MPs have to follow these rules about registering gifts, even when those rules are inconvenient. Those who do not are always investigated and usually punished, no matter who they are. Nigel Farage should not be exempt from those rules.
Instead of getting on with his job as your MP and waiting for the investigation, he tried to kill the process by making you vote again. But this changes nothing. When the proper process finishes, it will likely lead to another by-election, and you will be asked to come and vote all over again. Three elections in two years is a lot to put Clacton through, particularly when this one did not need to happen.
I want you to know that Conservatives want to see some common sense here. I know some of you believe the Conservatives should have put forward a candidate this time. Some might feel we left you without a serious choice. I understand why our decision may look that way, so let me reassure you.
Conservatives will never, ever write Clacton off. We refuse to dance to Nigel Farage’s tune or play a part in his one-man show. Treating Clacton as a stage for his drama is disrespectful. It is also unfair. You are not pawns in his game, there to provide him with a round of applause when he needs one. You elected an MP to represent you, not for you to represent him when public scrutiny becomes uncomfortable.
When the proper process has run its course and there is a genuine contest, we will be there. I will put forward a serious candidate who understands that representing Clacton is a job: someone who turns up, listens, holds meetings and works for the people who live here. You deserve an MP who puts you first, rather than making every question about himself.
Where Clacton is about one man’s job, the by-election in Aberdeen South earlier this year was about tens of thousands of people’s jobs in an oil and gas industry that is dying on Labour’s watch. The Conservative Party fought that by-election with everything we had, and it speaks volumes that we won Aberdeen South on almost 50 per cent of the vote – the first time the Conservative Party had won a by-election in Scotland in over 50 years.
As in Aberdeen, I will not ask you to forget why you lost faith in the Conservatives. But I am determined to earn that trust back by showing we have changed and we are different.
For now, I ask you to look at this needless election and ask one simple question: is it really being held for the people of Clacton, or is it being held for Nigel Farage?
You deserve better than being used to prove another man’s point. When the real choice comes, the Conservatives will be there and I hope we can earn your support.
Yours sincerely,
Kemi Badenoch MP, Leader of the Conservative Party
The statement made by Heidi Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 4 August 2026.
This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.
Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.
We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals. To drive forward sustainable change, we’re also investing over £219 million for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying and secure the future of aviation.
The comments made by Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in an interview with the Guardian on 5 August 2026.
We’ve always said the NHS is about the cradle to the grave. I want to make it a personal crusade to put the cradle back at the heart of the NHS, and to have much more focus around maternity and child health, the very beginning of a family’s life, making that much more central to the priorities of the NHS, giving it the priority that it really deserves.