Exclusive: Patients in England to get direct referrals for tests without seeing consultant, but critics say plan is ‘deluded’
Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his premiership next week by setting out a series of radical NHS changes aimed at reducing waiting times for millions of patients in England.
The shake-up comes after a torrid first six months in government and amid mounting frustration among patients. More than 6 million are waiting for care.
Continue reading...PM says in his new year message that 2025 will be a year of rebuilding, comparing the task to that Attlee faced in 1945
Keir Starmer has promised to rebuild Britain as Labour did after the second world war as he enters a pivotal year for his premiership.
The prime minister said in his prerecorded new year message that 2025 would be a year of rebuilding, with his government looking to turn the corner after a turbulent first six months in power.
Continue reading...Government accuses Tories and rightwing media of being ‘out of touch’, as VAT policy due to come into force
The government has accused critics of its plan to put VAT on private school fees of being detached from the real world after polling showed the policy, which will come into force on 1 January, is strongly backed by the public.
The poll, commissioned by the Private Education Policy Forum (PEPF) thinktank, found that 54% of people backed the idea, with 22% opposing it. This is an even greater margin of support than seen in similar polls carried out before the election.
Continue reading...Newly released files show proposals to divert £2m – earmarked to prevent conflict in Africa – to fund scheme
Tony Blair’s government discussed diverting £2m earmarked to prevent conflict in Africa in order to fund a controversial pilot scheme to process and house asylum-seekers in Tanzania, newly released government files show.
Under the scheme, Britain would have offered Tanzania an extra £4m in aid if it opened an asylum camp to house people claiming to be Somalian refugees while their applications to live in Britain were assessed.
Continue reading...Mayor of London ‘truly humbled’ to be made a knight as authors, actors and sporting stars receive honours
Sadiq Khan and Stephen Fry received knighthoods along with the former England manager Gareth Southgate while Emily Thornberry became a dame in the first new year honours list since Labour’s general election win.
The mayor of London, who secured a record third term in City Hall this May, said he was “truly humbled” by the honour. Fry, who first made his name as one half of a double act with Hugh Laurie in the late 1980s, said he had felt “startled and enchanted” on receiving the news.
Continue reading...Damning report reveals millions in England are living in poor-quality housing that threatens their health
Ministers have been warned that efforts to save the NHS and grow the economy will fail unless they tackle the housing crisis, as a damning report reveals millions of people are living in substandard homes that risk worsening their health.
In total, 4.5 million people aged 50 or above with an existing health condition in England are living in poor-quality housing with one or more problems such as rising damp, rot or decay that may be making them even sicker, the Centre for Ageing Better analysis found. Of those, 1.7 million are aged 70 or over.
Continue reading...New powers come amid concerns that cyber-attacks and outages could put the country’s financial stability at risk
City regulators will begin cracking down in the new year on tech firms providing “critical” services to UK banks amid concerns that cyber-attacks and outages at companies such as Google or Amazon could put the country’s financial stability at risk.
From 1 January, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority will be handed powers to regulate companies that are becoming a crucial part of the day-to-day operations of the increasingly digital banking and payments sector.
Continue reading...Treasury minister denies claims by Bangladesh that she helped broker corrupt deal with Russia to build nuclear plant
The Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq has been questioned by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission accused her and family members of embezzling billions for a nuclear power plant.
The Labour MP, who denies allegations that she helped broker a deal with Russia to build the energy project, reportedly told a government official that she was the victim of a “political hit job”.
Continue reading...Prime minister sets out milestones for delivery but faces claims of watering down targets and ignoring immigration
Keir Starmer accused Whitehall of becoming comfortable with failure as he challenged civil servants to hit a series of policy targets and deliver on 150 “major infrastructure projects”.
Ushering in the “next phase” for the five-month-old Labour government, the prime minister urged “a profound cultural shift away from a declinist mentality” and a relentless focus on getting things done.
Higher real household disposable income and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by the end of this parliament, as part of a long-term aim to make the UK the fastest-growing G7 economy.
Building 1.5m homes in England and fast-tracking planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects.
Putting the UK “on track” to achieve at least 95% clean power by 2030.
Meeting the NHS standard of 92% of patients in England waiting no longer than 18 weeks for elective care.
Getting a record 75% of five-year-olds ready to learn when they start school.
A named police officer for every beat, and 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers for England and Wales.
Continue reading...Prime minister makes speech intended to to show Labour government is ‘delivering change’
Starmer says there is record dissatisfaction with the NHS. The public insititutions but that they are not beyond repair.
Says this is great nation and we are rediscovering that we can do new things and we can deliver the change that they voted.
The purpose of this government is to make our public services work. It’s cause that demands the full power of government.
Starmer is up. Opening gambit is a swipe at Kemi Badenoch: the leader of the opposition thinks if you do a couple of shifts in McDonald’s you can become working-class.
Continue reading...MPs vote to give leave to bring in private members’ bill on PR but it will have no practical effect
Lord Robertson, the former Labour defence secretary and former Nato secretary who is leading the government’s strategic defence review, is giving evidence to the Commons defence committee. He has told MPs that the Americans are being fully consulted about the review. This is from Shashank Joshi, the Economist’s defence editor.
Listening to George Robertson & Richard Barrons, who are writing the UK’s defence review alongside Fiona Hill, giving evidence to the Commons defence committee. They’re in “constant contact” with allies, Robertson says, and have a US officer on the review team.
Continue reading...As part of a comprehensive programme of renationalisation, the service will come under public ownership in May
South Western Railway will be the first train operator nationalised under the Labour government, ministers have announced.
One of the UK’s biggest commuter services, which operates out of London Waterloo, it will be taken into public hands in May.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Tom Hayhoe, ex-Tory cabinet adviser, will examine an estimated £7.6bn of Covid-related fraud
Rachel Reeves is to appoint a health service and regulatory veteran, Tom Hayhoe, a former Conservative cabinet adviser, as her Covid corruption commissioner with the remit of clawing back billions in fraudulent contracts.
The chancellor is understood to believe the Treasury can recoup £2.6bn from waste, fraud and flawed contracts signed during the pandemic.
Continue reading...Health bosses reportedly concerned about government’s focus while council leaders are said to believe building targets are unrealistic
Keir Starmer’s “plan for change” being unveiled later this week (see 9.26am) will involve sidelining the mission pledge to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7, Ben Riley-Smith from the Telegraph reports.
New targets on living standards will be unveiled by Keir Starmer on Thursday
Is being seen as a sidelining of his big economic pledge - getting the highest growth in the G7
The problem with the ‘highest sustained growth in G7’ target is Starmer of course doesn’t control the economies of US, Aus, Canada, Germany, France, Japan
US growing way faster now: 2.8% estimate for 2024 vs 1.1% for UK
For the new living standards target real household disposable income and GDP per capita have been considered.
The new promise will likely have the benefit of not being a pledge to beat other countries.
Note the nuance. The G7 target remains. It will likely be mentioned in the ‘Plan For Change’ document unveiled on Thurs and Starmer’s speech
But a new major economic pledge will now be unveiled which in the coming years is likely to be talked about much more than the G7 ambition
Councils are committed to keeping tenants and residents safe, and are keen to work with government to drive the pace of remediation.
However, for local government to carry out enforcement and addressing cladding issues as effectively and quickly as possible, multi-year funding arrangements are needed.
Continue reading...PM expected to set target to carry out 92% of routine operations and appointments within 18 weeks
NHS bosses are said to be privately concerned about Keir Starmer’s ambitious targets to cut waiting lists for routine operations, set to be announced later this week, which will also include specific targets on living standards and housebuilding.
The prime minister is expected on Thursday to set a target for 92% of routine operations and appointments to be carried out within 18 weeks, one that has not been achieved in almost a decade, the Times has reported.
Continue reading...Palliative care commission set up to provide high-quality, holistic support following assisted dying vote
MPs, doctors and charities have drawn up a blueprint to deliver an “unprecedented transformation” of care for 100,000 people a year in the final stages of their lives.
After parliament’s historic vote last week to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, a commission on palliative care has been set up to help improve end-of-life care.
Continue reading...Home secretary to highlight data showing record number of calm autumnal days that made Channel crossings likely
The number of small boat arrivals since Keir Starmer took power has passed 20,000, with the Home Office claiming a record number of calm autumnal days in the Channel was responsible.
A 31-day period in October and November had the highest ratio of so-called “red days” – when weather conditions make crossings likely or very likely – since records began in 2018, according to a leaked analysis.
Continue reading...Bill aims to strengthen animal welfare by closing legal loopholes around imports of dogs, cats and ferrets
The government has thrown its weight behind a bill to crack down on puppy smuggling as part of a commitment to strengthening animal welfare.
Ministers announced on Friday that they were supporting a private member’s bill sponsored by Danny Chambers, a Liberal Democrat MP and veterinary surgeon, to crack down on the pet-smuggling trade.
Continue reading...Transport secretary departs after it emerged she pleaded guilty to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013
In her resignation letter Louise Haigh said little about the past conviction, now spent, that led to her resignation. But she gave a fuller statement yesterday when approached by reporters about the story. She said:
In 2013 I was mugged while on a night out. I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.
I reported it to the police and gave them a list of what I believed had been taken - including a work mobile phone that had been issued by my employer.
Louise Haigh has done the right thing in resigning. It is clear she has failed to behave to the standards expected of an MP.
In her resignation letter, she states that Keir Starmer was already aware of the fraud conviction, which raises questions as to why the prime minister appointed Ms Haigh to Cabinet with responsibility for a £30bn budget? The onus is now on Keir Starmer to explain this obvious failure of judgment to the British public.
Continue reading...Haigh tells PM she is ‘totally committed’ but leaves role after incorrectly telling police a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013
Louise Haigh has resigned as transport secretary only 12 hours after it emerged she had been convicted of fraud over a missing work phone.
Haigh quit the cabinet with a letter to Keir Starmer saying that “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering the work of this government”.
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