UK News

The £2 bus fare cap has been reinstated by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, reversing a decision to increase it made by his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer. The cap across England is set at £3 until the end of March 2027 although some areas – including London and Greater Manchester, where Mr Burnham kept the £2 limit as mayor – have lower top rates for single tickets. The £2 cap will […]

The number of households unable to afford basic essentials such as food and heating is at a record high, according to new research which suggests the rise has been driven mainly by those traditionally less likely to be struggling. An estimated 7.4 million low-income UK households were not able to afford at least one essential item in the last six months, anti-poverty organisation the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said. This […]

Andy Burnham’s premiership begins at a time when four-fifths of Britons feel the country is going in the wrong direction, only half are satisfied with their living standards and confidence in the quality of the NHS has plummeted, according to polling. The results show the new prime minister faces having to “navigate this highly fragmented, multi-polarised political landscape and rebuild some optimism for the future”, researchers said. Standing in Downing […]

Young obese women are driving a rise in early-onset type 2 diabetes across England, research suggests. A new study found a rise in the number of young adults developing type 2 diabetes, and they tend to be fatter at the point at which they are diagnosed than older people. The research, published in Lancet Regional Health Europe, is the first to examine trends in new cases of type 2 diabetes […]

The father of a 16-year-old who was murdered on a North Ayrshire beach has said losing him has “devastated our family forever”. Kayden Moy was fatally stabbed on Irvine beach on May 17 last year, after three teenagers acted together to attack him. Cole Turley, 18, admitted the killing, while Jay Stewart, 19 and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murder following […]

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering Ann Widdecombe by hitting her 21 times on her head with a hammer. Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday over the death of Reform UK spokeswoman and former Tory minister. Kerry was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11, two days after Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her bungalow in […]

Andy Burnham told ministers he will lead a “cost-of-living Government” after announcing an £850 million tax cut on electricity bills. From October 1 electricity bills will be VAT free, saving households about £45 a year as part of the new Prime Minister’s promise to help ease cost-of-living pressures. But Darren Jones, a key ally of former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer who lost his Cabinet post on Monday when Mr […]

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering Ann Widdecombe. Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday over the death of Reform UK spokeswoman and former Tory minister. Kerry was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11, two days after Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her bungalow in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon. Kerry was also arrested on suspicion of […]

UK Government borrowing fell by a third last month, a bigger decline than forecasters were expecting and delivering some early relief to John Healey on his first day as Chancellor, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector net borrowing was £16 billion in June, which was 33.1% less than the same month last year. It means the figure came in £300 million below the Office […]