Keir Starmer swipes at Jeremy Corbyn during Labour business blitz
Keir Starmer criticized Jeremy Corbyn and praised business leaders at a conference.
Labour has announced policies to align with business, including capping corporation tax at 25% and not reinstating the cap on bankers' bonuses. [ more ]
Labour mulls plan to boost local buyouts of community sites in England
Vacant pubs, shops, and community centres in England may be offered to local groups first under Labour’s plans.
The proposals would give local groups the right to buy community assets with financial backing from the state and a 12-month exclusive period to make an offer. [ more ]
Ben Houchen victory bucks anti-Tory trend as Labour wins three mayoral contests
The Conservatives retained the Tees Valley mayoralty with a reduced majority, while Labour won other contests in the East Midlands, North East, and North Yorkshire. [ more ]
Labour to use emergency powers to build new prisons to halt overcrowding crisis
Labour plans to use emergency powers to build new prisons to address overcrowding.
Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticizes the current state of jails as a 'national emergency' and emphasizes the urgency of building new prison places. [ more ]
Labour would force AI firms to share their technology's test data
Labour plans to replace voluntary testing agreements with AI firms with a statutory regime which would require companies to share test data with officials.
Labour calls for greater transparency from AI firms and wants them to be more open about their research and development activities.
The current voluntary testing agreement for AI models was struck by Rishi Sunak and includes leading AI firms like Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. [ more ]
Labour's Peter Kyle set for AI talks with tech giants during Washington visit
Labour's shadow technology secretary, Peter Kyle, is visiting the US to meet with tech giants and discuss artificial intelligence developments.
Kyle plans to use the talks to explore the potential for AI to improve public services, such as speeding up cancer scans and creating personalized lesson plans for children. [ more ]
Kingswood and Wellingborough results leave Tories 'with mountain to climb'
The Conservatives suffered two by-election defeats and two gains for Labour, indicating that they still have a long way to go to regain their standing.
The swings in the by-elections, particularly in Wellingborough, were significant and not a major surprise given the standing of the parties in the opinion polls. [ more ]
Labour has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali, its candidate for the Rochdale byelection, over controversial remarks he made about Israel and the 7 October attack.
Labour cannot replace Ali as the deadline for candidate withdrawal has already passed. [ more ]
Labour's self-sabotage leaves Rochdale byelection up for grabs
Labour's own candidate in the Rochdale by-election, Azhar Ali, has sabotaged what should have been a safe Labour seat and made a George Galloway victory more likely.
Labour has withdrawn its support for Ali and he will not be allowed to sit as a Labour MP even if he wins the election. [ more ]
The ultimate protest against Labour': George Galloway's bid to win Rochdale
Ali Dar, assistant manager of Rochdale Chunky Chicken, is supporting George Galloway in the byelection due to Keir Starmer's refusal to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Galloway has been campaigning hard in the Milkstone and Deeplish ward, where a majority of residents are Muslim, and has a strong online presence. [ more ]
Labour's reduced home insulation plans simply not enough'
Labour's slashing of proposed spending on home insulation will leave millions of people on low incomes in cold, damp homes and could prevent the UK meeting its legally binding carbon targets.
The Federation of Master Builders criticized Labour's scaling back of low-carbon policies, stating that the new plans would barely scratch the surface of the need for insulation and would miss opportunities for energy savings and economic growth. [ more ]
Free school meals cut obesity and help reading skills' in England, study finds
A new study found that providing free school meals for all primary school children in England reduces obesity and boosts reading skills.
Levels of obesity were reduced by 7% to 11% among reception children in the four London boroughs that have already adopted the policy.
Making free school meals universal increased their take-up by those who had already been entitled to them, possibly because it changed school culture and the stigma around having them. [ more ]
What is Labour's 28bn green plan and could it be shelved?
Labour's proposed green prosperity plan would commit 28bn a year to kickstart the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy.
The plan includes boosting renewable energy, insulating homes, improving transport infrastructure, fostering low-carbon industries, and helping fossil fuel-reliant industries transition to net zero.
The 28bn figure has been criticized by the Tories, who claim it would require higher taxes, but economists argue that it can be funded without raising taxes and seen as an investment. [ more ]
Dorries pledges to hand back nearly 17,000 golden goodbye' given in error
Nadine Dorries pledges to pay back over £16,000 she was mistakenly given as an exit payout after being sacked as culture secretary.
Other politicians, including Peter Bone, Baroness Stedman-Scott, and Sir David Evennett, have also received incorrect severance pay due to age eligibility.
Labour has promised to reform ministerial severance pay rules if they win the next election. [ more ]
Labour vows to tackle 'NHS waste' if it wins next election
Labour vows to tackle NHS waste if it wins the next election
Savings could be made by improving communication with patients and cutting management consultants
Labour insists performance can be improved through tackling ill health sooner, more locally-delivered services, and better use of new technologies. [ more ]
Martin Lewis writes to Jeremy Hunt with four demands for spring Budget
Martin Lewis has written to the chancellor urging him to fix financial penalties that are affecting millions of people across the country.
The penalties include child benefits rules, ISA scheme punishments for first-time buyers, above inflation phone and broadcast price hikes, and real terms cuts to student living loans. [ more ]
Pro-Palestinian activist to run against Wes Streeting in election for Ilford North
Leanne Mohamad, a pro-Palestinian activist, has been chosen as an independent parliamentary candidate for Ilford North, challenging Wes Streeting of Labour.
Mohamad's selection complicates Streeting's attempt to retain his seat amidst criticism of Labour's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. [ more ]
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announces date for 2024 Spring Budget
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the date for the 2024 spring Budget, as the Conservatives scramble to appease voters with tax cuts ahead of the upcoming general election.
Labour warned against dancing to Tory tune' by offshoring asylum claims
Labour has been warned that processing asylum claims offshore could harm refugees and amount to dancing to the Tory tune on immigration, as it declined to rule out adopting such a policy.
Keir Starmer tells Labour frontbench to ready policies for spring election
Keir Starmer has ordered his frontbench team to finalise their manifesto policies within weeks as Labour moves on to a campaign footing before what officials believe will be a spring election.
Never say never,' Farage hints at return to frontline politics after jungle exit
Nigel Farage hints at a return to frontline politics after appearing on 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' and criticizing the Conservatives and Labour.
Farage may take a formal role in the Reform UK party and potentially fight for a seat in the next general election. [ more ]