Author: Fatimah Idera

British Gas is preparing to take a significant multibillion pound stake in Sizewell C, a nuclear power plant championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. The deal, led by British Gas’s parent company Centrica, is expected to be announced within weeks and will see the company acquire a 15% stake in the project. Centrica’s investment will match the stake held by French state-owned energy giant EDF, giving a major boost to Sizewell C after extended delays and financing hurdles. The move comes shortly after the Government confirmed it would inject an additional £14 billion into the project by 2029 bringing the…

Cabinet ministers have insisted that the government’s welfare reform plans will improve mental health outcomes, arguing that supporting people into work is key to tackling rising rates of anxiety and depression. Health Secretary, Wes Streeting and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall made the case for the reforms, stating: “Good work is good for mental health.” Their intervention comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash within Labour ranks over the proposed tightening of eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The Prime Minister made a major concession on Thursday night to avoid a potential Commons defeat, agreeing that current…

Sir Keir Starmer’s own veterans commissioner for Northern Ireland has launched a fierce attack on Labour’s plans to repeal the Legacy Act, warning that scrapping protections for British soldiers who served during the Troubles would create an immoral and two-tier system of justice. David Johnstone, appointed by Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn in January, said that removing the current legal shield for veterans could drag dozens of elderly former soldiers into court for actions taken decades ago while fighting the IRA. He estimated that 50 to 70 former servicemen could be prosecuted, despite doing their jobs under government orders. The…

Sir Keir Starmer has made a significant concession to head off a major Labour rebellion, agreeing that current disability benefit claimants will not lose their support under planned welfare reforms. The Prime Minister has decided that existing recipients of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP),a benefit that helps cover the extra costs of living with a disability, will be protected. The changes will now only affect new claimants going forward. The decision dramatically reduces the expected savings from the government’s original welfare shake-up, cutting the projected £4.6 billion by 2029/30 to £3.1 billion, a reduction of around £1.5 billion. This move…

Dozens of Labour MPs rebelling against Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed welfare cuts could lose their seats at the next election if benefit claimants turn against the party. The Prime Minister is facing the most significant rebellion of his leadership over controversial plans to cut Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) , the latter a benefit supporting people with disabilities. The proposed changes, designed to save £5 billion annually, have triggered widespread discontent after the government’s impact assessment warned that around 50,000 children could be pushed into poverty as a result. More than 120 Labour MPs have signed a rebel…

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to soften key elements of Labour’s welfare reform plans in a bid to avoid his first major defeat in the House of Commons. Facing a growing revolt from within his party, the Prime Minister is considering last-minute amendments to his flagship welfare Bill to prevent a damaging rebellion from more than 120 Labour MPs. Sources in No 10 confirmed that officials are examining ways to avert a showdown in Tuesday’s Commons vote, including options such as accelerating the rollout of support payments for people returning to work and pledging to publish reviews of disability and…

The plan would see parking meters installed on streets within one kilometre (0.6 miles) of the seafront.

Ministers are weighing plans to tighten regulations on alcohol advertising, including potential bans before the 9 pm watershed and online. The proposed changes, described as partial restrictions, aim to align ethanol marketing rules more closely with those already in place for unhealthy food. Health officials are exploring measures that could see a complete ban on alcohol advertising online, including across social media and influencer content. Similar to junk food ad regulations, new rules could prohibit alcohol ads in any media where over 25% of the audience is under 16. Marketing content would also need to avoid youth-focused language, celebrity endorsements…

An Ofsted inspector has called on special schools to decolonise their curriculum and move beyond a colour-blind approach to education. Priya Bhagrath, who is also the head teacher of Bishopswood School, a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school near Reading, Berkshire, said that pupils in special education deserve an inclusive curriculum that reflects their identities and lived experiences. Bhagrath highlighted that following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the United States, many mainstream schools began to examine their role in systemic racism. However, she said the conversation largely excluded the SEND sector, despite many of its pupils belonging…

Britain will require permission from the United States, potentially from Donald Trump if he wins the presidency again, before deploying any tactical nuclear weapons on its new American-made fighter jets. The UK government has agreed to purchase 12 F-35A fighter jets from the United States, marking the first time since the Cold War that British aircraft will be equipped to carry nuclear warheads. However, the UK has no plans to develop its own independent tactical nuclear weapons. Instead, it will rely on US-supplied B61-12 thermonuclear bombs, which the F-35A jets are designed to carry. Due to NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements, all…