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327 headlines found — Page 2 of 28

The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

UK government ‘irresponsible’ for not publishing emergency drought plans

Campaigners demand greater transparency into water companies’ plans not made public due to ‘security reasons’ The UK government has been accused of a lack of transparency and acting “irresponsibly” for refusing to publish the emergency drought plans that are produced by water companies. Water firms are required to publish statutory drought plans every five years to detail the actions needed to ensure public water supply is maintained and the environment is protected during drought. Five key rese

Environment
The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

Housebuilding near train stations to get ‘default yes’ under new planning changes – UK politics live

Thousands more houses could be built near transport hubs including on green belt sites The new national planning policy framework is aimed at providing clearer national policies for plan-making and decision-making, meaning that conflicting local policies will carry less weight when they are inconsistent with national policies. Other changes will include: Stronger support in principle for development, meaning a more explicit presumption in favour of building in sustainable locations. Pubs will ge

PoliticsEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

Loosening of planning rules in England to allow more new homes near stations

Angela Rayner to launch guidance for ‘default yes’ on developments near transport hubs, including on green belt sites Thousands more homes could be built within 10 minutes of transport hubs, including on green belt sites, under a loosening of planning policy announced by Angela Rayner on Monday. The housing secretary will set out changes to national planning guidance for England that will include an order for councils to have a “default yes” approach to housing developments that are within a rea

EnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics16 Aug 2026

Andy Burnham has barely acknowledged the climate crisis. If only Britain’s workers had that luxury | John Harris

Nurses collapsing, builders with heatstroke, bus drivers in cabs that reach 44C. The new PM wanted to spend the summer talking about the cost of living – he should change his plans I don’t think I have ever written before about a British strike directly related to the climate emergency. But that’s exactly what began late last week in north London, with a zeitgeisty connection to Andy Burnham’s fixation on buses: picket lines outside depots and massed walkouts, while the temperatures in the relev

EconomyEnvironmentHealthcare
The Guardian Politics14 Aug 2026

Burnham announces £65m for drought-hit farmers after Labour pressure

PM steps up climate response with measures including better water access and support for building farm reservoirs Farmers must not carry the risks of the climate crisis alone, Andy Burnham has said, as he announced £65m of funding to help them manage the devastating drought. The prime minister is stepping up his response to the immediate climate crisis after facing a backlash from his own MPs and Labour’s grassroots for not addressing the climate crisis despite wildfires tearing through Britain

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics14 Aug 2026

Green groups urge Andy Burnham to break silence on climate crisis

More than 50 organisations say PM urgently needs to show leadership and prepare British people for scale of change needed as UK struggles through another heatwave UK politics live – latest updates The UK’s leading climate organisations have accused prime minister Andy Burnham of “remaining silent” on the climate crisis as the country struggles to cope with its fifth heatwave of the year. As widespread droughts and devastating wildfires grip the country green groups have written to Burnham urgi

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics14 Aug 2026

Standards watchdog resumes investigation into Nigel Farage over financial gifts

Reform UK leader’s return to Clacton restarts inquiry into £5m gift from cyrpto-billionaire and support from fraudster The suspended parliamentary standards investigation into Nigel Farage over accusations he failed to declare gifts and donations has resumed after the Reform UK leader’s re-election as the MP for Clacton. The twofold investigation by Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, was paused after Farage resigned from his seat and called a byelection in protest at

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics14 Aug 2026

Hot topic: why is Burnham so reluctant to talk about the climate crisis?

Extreme heat is harming the wellbeing of the ordinary people the PM champions, yet he has ignored the subject From the first day Andy Burnham came into office, climate scientists, campaigners and some of the ordinary people surviving through this summer of extreme heat began to wonder when he would start to talk about the climate crisis. Up until this week, many held back from criticism. After all, he had only been in power for a couple weeks; it felt far too early to start to judge and call him

Environment
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Nurses fainting in ‘inhumane’ conditions due to extreme heat, union warns

RCN calls for more air conditioners as Burnham faces pressure to recognise urgency of adaptation to climate crisis Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation. Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on t

DefenceEnvironmentHealthcare
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Burnham to consider ban on disposable barbecues as wildfires rage in UK

PM to look at imposing restriction on devices in public spaces, though campaigners fear it does not go far enough The government will look at banning disposable barbecues as wildfires continue to rage across the country, prime minister Andy Burnham has said. Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious fires over the last few years, but campaigners were critical of the PM’s failure to link those fires more broadly to the climate crisis. Macclesfield, Cheshire, July 2026: A lar

Environment
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

10 urgent climate policies the UK should implement now

From rejecting drilling licences to preparing communities for heat, drought and wildfires, here’s how Burnham can ready the UK for a hotter, drier climate From record-smashing temperatures, wildfires, hosepipe bans and thousands of premature deaths, the climate crisis has left its mark across the summer of 2026. Tackling the root cause – the burning of fossil fuels – and ending the crisis will take years. So will fixing the UK government’s calamitous failure to protect lives and livelihoods agai

Environment
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires

Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves UK heatwave live – latest updates Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within a key government department tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information request has revealed. The officials make up 0.3% of staff within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Continue reading...

Environment