Category Archives: UK news

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend benefits system ‘status quo’ because it ‘writes off’ claimants

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Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working

‘I can deliver’: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conference

Kuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Foundation, a system offering adult social care free at the point of delivery (like healthcare delivered by the NHS) would cost £18bn.

Burnham says the cost is “not that high” (ie, not as high as £18bn).

Not that high.

But can I directly deal with this issue of the costs?

Louise Casey is still doing an official review for us, so I will set out the vision, if you like, on Tuesday [in his speech to the conference].

Louise will then help us with the how. How do we make this happen? When can we make it happen?

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‘I can deliver’: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conference

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Exclusive: UK prime minister says delivering fiscal stability would be ‘crucial’ to be able to fix bigger problems

Andy Burnham has said he can deliver on his promise of radical change for the country despite severe economic headwinds, telling the Guardian: “There’s always things you can do; it’s just whether you’re prepared to do them.”

The prime minister acknowledged public finances were “challenging” ahead of next month’s budget but said delivering fiscal stability would be “crucial”, because only then would the government be able to focus on fixing bigger problems.

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Andy Burnham announces new homes scheme for first-time buyers

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Exclusive: Policy initiative for England will help more young people on to property ladder, prime minister tells Guardian

A new help-to-buy scheme aimed at giving first-time buyers who cannot rely on the “bank of mum and dad” is to be introduced in a big policy announcement by Andy Burnham.

The programme, called “Your first home”, is intended to help buyers in England who have a regular income but have been unable to save for a large deposit or don’t have financial support from their family.

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Jill Dando murder: technological advances allow police to review CCTV 27 years later

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BBC broadcaster was shot in 1999 in case detectives have previously said may never be solved

Technological advances are allowing police to review old CCTV footage in the unsolved murder of the BBC broadcaster Jill Dando, Scotland Yard has revealed.

Advances in CCTV enhancement technology have allowed detectives to return to 27-year-old footage of Putney Bridge Underground station, Scotland Yard said. But detectives stressed that the review was part of existing inquiries – not a new investigation.

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Three-quarters of UK’s popular plug-in hybrid cars unable to use rapid chargers

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Only 26% of PHEVs sold across top 20 models can use chargers with power of 50kW or more, analysis finds

Three-quarters of the 20 top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK cannot use rapid chargers, research has found, amid concerns that many are essentially “petrol cars pulling round a heavy battery”.

The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive – unlike fully electric cars – while still reducing emissions.

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Rare sale of David Hockney painting of beloved dog Stanley could fetch £2.5m

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Exclusive: Dog Painting 17 is believed to be one of only six of works from Dog Series in private hands and first to be auctioned

David Hockney adored his dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie and let them run riot – so much so that after one had an accident in the LA home of the actor Dennis Hopper, the painter is said to have quipped: “It’ll be dry in the morning, luv, and you can just pick it up.”

But Hockney did not just indulge his four-legged companions, he treated them as portrait subjects for a series of paintings, one of which is to be sold by Christie’s.

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‘I felt shame’: former BA worker locked in legal battle after losing job of 30 years

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Cabin crew worker was among thousands of staff laid off during pandemic in what MPs called a ‘national disgrace’

During a 30-year career as a member of British Airways’ cabin crew, Tess De Mello took pride in a job well done, saying she regularly went above and beyond to make passengers more comfortable. To her, the role was more than just employment – it was part of her identity.

“I took pride,” she said. “I really took pride in myself, I took pride in my role, I took pride in everything because it was everything I wanted to be.”

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Labour must reunite progressive voters to win the next election, says Lucy Powell

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The deputy leader wants the party to take advantage of a split on the right and not be embarrassed to show its values

Labour must “reunite the progressive voter coalition” if it is to take advantage of a split on the right and win the next election, the party’s deputy leader has said.

Lucy Powell, who won the race to be deputy leader 12 months ago with a warning that Labour was losing the fight to be heard as Reform UK surged, said the government now had a second chance under Andy Burnham.

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Drones could speed up getting defibrillators to people having cardiac arrests, study suggests

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New research suggests the technology could be used to increase out-of-hospital access to life-saving devices

Drones could help cut the time it takes to get a defibrillator to people experiencing cardiac arrests when not in hospital, researchers have suggested.

In the UK alone, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate the individual, according to the British Heart Foundation. However, fewer than one in 10 people survive such an event, and some who do are left with neurological problems.

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British climber, 28, dies in fall in northern Spain

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Mountaineer’s body recovered about 20 metres below the summit of Torrecerredo, the highest peak of the Picos de Europa range

A British man has died after falling about 61 metres (200ft) while descending from the summit of a mountain in northern Spain, according to local law enforcement.

The 28-year-old mountaineer fell down a vertical gully on the east side of the Torrecerredo – the highest peak of the Cantabrian mountains – on Thursday afternoon, the Spanish Civil Guard for the Asturias region said.

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Healey appoints Labour manifesto writer, fuelling election speculation

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Exclusive: Economist Ravinder Athwal who worked in Keir Starmer’s team is poached from Flint Global

Ravinder Athwal, the economist who wrote Labour’s 2024 manifesto, is taking on a senior role as an adviser to John Healey, in a move likely to fuel speculation about an early general election.

The chancellor is keen to beef up his team before the critical budget on 28 October, as the economy is buffeted by high oil prices and rising government borrowing costs.

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DNA database of UK dogs could help police collar criminals

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Experts working on database that could identify particular breeds involved in crimes, or rule out canine suspects

From tracking criminals to sniffing out drugs, dogs have long helped police crack cases. Now experts are hoping a database of canine DNA could offer vital leads.

While hair, saliva and other canine material may be found at crime scenes, or on individuals connected to incidents, scientists say they are often not fully investigated.

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‘Gamechanging’ brain tumour test reduces diagnosis from eight weeks to two hours

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NHS England says test can be done while patient is on operating table and is being piloted in five centres around the country

A rapid new test for brain tumours can diagnose patients while they are still on the operating table.

Scientists have called the development “gamechanging” and said it could secure early treatment for those who “do not have time on their side”.

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Daniel Thomas pleads not guilty after alleged dinghy slashing in Channel

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Far-right activist who was filmed appearing to slash boat with blade is refused bail as he denies charges

The far-right agitator Daniel Thomas has denied causing criminal damage after he was filmed appearing to slash a boat in the Channel with a blade, while an emergency responder was onboard.

Thomas, 37, appeared at Basingstoke magistrates court on Friday morning. He also pleaded not guilty to not disclosing to police the pin number of his phone, under section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

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UK food and drink trade deficit largest since 2000 at £21bn

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Industry leaders call on government to protect homegrown produce in the interest of national security

The gap between Britain’s food and drink exports and imports has neared its highest this century, as a combination of Brexit, war in the Middle East and US tariffs dented deliveries overseas while imports soared.

The UK’s food and drink trade deficit has risen to more than £21bn – the largest since 2000 – in what industry leaders said was a “wake-up call” for the government to protect homegrown produce in the interest of national security.

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Iran awaiting response from Trump on proposal to open strait of Hormuz in six days

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Country says US must lift sanctions on its oil exports and end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon

Iran said it has told Donald Trump it is willing to open the strait of Hormuz in six days, and to start talks on its nuclear program the day after, so long as the US lifts sanctions on Iran’s oil exports in return, ends the war on all fronts – including in Lebanon – and releases some of Iran’s frozen assets.

The proposal is designed to accelerate the steps first laid down in the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June, particularly by helping the talks on Iran’s nuclear program start much more quickly than previously agreed.

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‘Cracking auction, Gromit!’ Original Aardman puppets go under the hammer

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Wallace and Gromit stop-motion models and other beloved creations raise money to train new generations of animators

Wallace’s reaction as the auction got into full swing might have been a trademark “good grief!” – and the enthusiasm of some of the bidding could have caused even the phlegmatic Gromit to show surprise.

Fans of Wallace and Gromit and other beloved creations of Aardman Animations seized the chance to grab souvenirs when more than 200 pieces – including Wallace, Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run puppets from Aardman productions – went under the hammer on Thursday.

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NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessments

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Patient groups decry ‘scandalous’ delays as four integrated care boards take step due to soaring demand for diagnoses

NHS bodies are forcing people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism to wait at least two years before they can be assessed as they struggle to meet surging demand for diagnoses of neurodiversity.

Four NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) covering large regions of England have adopted the approach because they cannot afford the cost of the number of assessments that people are seeking.

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Met chief criticises court system after paedophile granted bail

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Officers left feeling ‘hamstrung’, says Mark Rowley after offender allowed to return to flat overlooking playground

Pressure to cut the number of prisoners on remand has led to “dangerous and prolific offenders” being granted bail, the country’s most senior police officer said after a paedophile was allowed to return to his flat that overlooked a children’s playground.

Zafer Dogan was jailed on Thursday for two years and four months after he was convicted of taking thousands of pictures of women and girls before using AI technology to turn them into nude images for his sexual gratification.

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Ukrainians in UK fear homelessness over host scheme funding cuts

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Monthly ‘thank you’ payments for people hosting refugees to be cut from £350 to £100 from next year

Ukrainian refugees in the UK fear they could be left homeless after the government quietly axed 70% of funding for hosts of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, reducing monthly “thank you” payments to them from £350 to £100.

The scheme was launched after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has provided support for 181,000 of the 234,000 Ukrainians who have since sought sanctuary in the UK.

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