18 h. ago Infected blood scandal victims will get paid quicker, minister promises

Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has told officials to "do what is necessary to remove barriers and speed up payments."

Politics

66 h. ago The Doctor in your pocket will see you now! But will ministers really be able to deliver the all

The NHS App will use AI and become the 'digital front door' of the health service under the proposals designed to ease pressure on hospitals and GPs.

Politics

4 d. ago Minister declines to rule out tax rises amid welfare climbdown warning

Pat McFadden said that ministers ‘will keep to the tax promises’ in their election manifesto.

Events

5 d. ago No 10 considers further concessions on welfare bill just hours before vote – UK politics live

Guardian deputy political editor Jessica Elgot says another concession to rebels MPs is possible Compass, the leftwing group urging Labour to be more pluralistic, has put out a statement condemning the UC and Pip bill. Its director, Neal Lawson, said:If your own friends are telling you to put the brakes on, then something has clearly gone wrong. Despite the government’s line, this legislation does not advance Labour values. It is fundamentally at odds with them, and with the views of the mainstream of the party and civil society.”MPs from across the House, and especially the Labour side, must back Rachael Maskell’s reasoned amendment. This bill’s creation of a three-tiered social security system would condemn thousands to poverty and could lose Labour the next election.A bill of this magnitude should have been co-produced with disabled people and our organisations from the very start.Now, ministers scramble to promise ‘consultation’ as one small part of the process. That is too litt...

Politics

5 d. ago Labour rebel criticises ‘Dickensian’ welfare cuts as MPs debate bill ahead of vote – UK politics live

MPs are debating the universal credit and Pip bill as Lindsay Hoyle says he has selected amendment tabled by Rachael MaskellCompass, the leftwing group urging Labour to be more pluralistic, has put out a statement condemning the UC and Pip bill. Its director, Neal Lawson, said:If your own friends are telling you to put the brakes on, then something has clearly gone wrong. Despite the government’s line, this legislation does not advance Labour values. It is fundamentally at odds with them, and with the views of the mainstream of the party and civil society.”MPs from across the House, and especially the Labour side, must back Rachael Maskell’s reasoned amendment. This bill’s creation of a three-tiered social security system would condemn thousands to poverty and could lose Labour the next election.A bill of this magnitude should have been co-produced with disabled people and our organisations from the very start.Now, ministers scramble to promise ‘consultation’ as one small part of th...

Politics

7 d. ago Video of Labour's broken promises to nuke veterans gets 3 million views as pressure grows

Labour is under pressure to act on the Nuked Blood scandal after a video of ministers' broken promises was seen by 3 million people

Events

7 d. ago Starmer’s promised ethics commission may repackage existing regulators

Government sources say ‘umbrella’ structure now more likely after plans for independent body found to be too complexKeir Starmer’s flagship new ethics and integrity commission may be a rebrand of existing watchdogs brought together under a new “umbrella” rather than creating an entirely fresh regulator, government sources have said.A year after Labour made its manifesto promise, ministers are mulling the idea of a new oversight structure above current regulators to avoid the need for starting from scratch. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Canada poised to pass infrastructure bill despite pushback from Indigenous people

Bill prioritizes ‘nation-building’ pipelines and mines, causing concern that sped-up approvals will override constitutional rightsCanada’s Liberal government is poised to pass controversial legislation on Friday that aims to kick-start “nation building” infrastructure projects but has received widespread pushback from Indigenous communities over fears it tramples on their constitutional rights.On its final day of sitting before breaking for summer, parliament is expected to vote on Bill C-5. The legislation promised by Mark Carney, the prime minister, during the federal election, is meant to strengthen Canada’s economy amid a trade war launched by Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Iran: Netanyahu’s war has no visible exit | Editorial

The US president promised to keep his country out of conflicts. The Israeli prime minister has other ideasThe maxim that wars are easy to start and hard to end does not appear to be troubling Benjamin Netanyahu. For the Israeli prime minister, conflict is an end as much as a means, extending his political survival. Under international pressure – however belated and insufficient – over the slaughter in Gaza, he launched the attack on Iran. Initially presented as essential to prevent Tehran from the imminent acquisition of a nuclear bomb, a claim running counter to US intelligence, it is increasingly discussed as the path to bringing down the regime. The defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist”.Donald Trump has generally seen armed conflict as a trap rather than an escape route. He said that the US would “measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the war...

Politics

3 w. ago As a trans Australian, I was kicked out of a UK toilet. This is not the open

I used to be proud of my birthplace for its cosmopolitan tolerance. Visiting now, it feels like stepping back decadesI was visiting family in London when the British supreme court handed down its unexpected ruling: under the Equality Act, sex was now considered “binary” in law, which meant transgender people could be banned from single-sex spaces of their gender identity. The Labour government, which had come into office promising us “dignity”, capitulated. But, not to worry, soothed a minister, Pat McFadden, “There isn’t going to be toilet police.”A few days later the toilet police got me. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Why did Starmer and Reeves change tack on winter fuel payments? Every Labour U

The Independent looks at all the times Sir Keir Starmer has let voters down or outright U-turned on his promises on the journey from Labour leader to prime minister

Politics

3 w. ago Lords’ objections to Data Bill over copyright threatens its existence – minister

Technology minister Sir Chris Bryant hopes a promise of progress updates on copyright and AI will be enough to satisfy peers.

Politics