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336 headlines found — Page 2 of 28

The Guardian Politics18 Aug 2026

Disabled people in England to get 24-hour free bus travel – UK politics live

Burnham has announced a range of policies aimed at relieving pressure on financially squeezed households and businesses Disabled bus pass holders in England will be able to travel for free at all hours from April next year, the government has announced. Currently, disabled bus passes are valid for travel only on weekdays from 9.30am to 11pm unless local authorities fund an extension, as Greater Manchester did earlier this year when Andy Burnham was mayor. Continue reading...

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

Burnham scraps restrictions on disabled people’s bus passes in England

Move means holders will be able to travel free on local services at any time of day or night from April next year Disabled people across England will be able to use their free bus passes at any time of day from next April, as Andy Burnham expands a policy he introduced as mayor of Greater Manchester. The prime minister has said the current weekday restrictions on when disabled people can use their bus passes will be removed from 1 April 2027. Their passes are valid only between 9.30am and 11pm o

Housing
The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

Ministers drop plan to relax affordable housing rules after negative response

Government concedes ‘significant opposition’ requires new approach on quotas for medium-sized development sites Ministers have dropped plans to relax affordable housing rules for developers in England after a backlash from housing experts who warned it could drastically cut the number of cheaper homes available in rural areas. The government said on Monday it would not go ahead with proposals to end affordable housing quotas for private builders on sites containing between 10 and 49 houses after

DefenceHousing
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

More women will die if domestic abusers leave prison early, victim’s parents warn

Parents of Michaela Hall, whose partner killed her after he left prison in 2021, say Probation Service cannot cope with mass release More women will die if ministers include domestic abusers in the early prison release scheme, the parents of a woman murdered by her partner shortly after he was freed have warned. Michaela Hall, a 49-year-old charity worker, was killed in her home in Cornwall, by Lee Kendall in 2021 two weeks after he was released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence

DefenceHousingCrime
The Guardian Politics17 Aug 2026

Nothing less than radical whole-system change is required to fix the NHS's maternity services | Julia Sanders

It’s vital that Yvette Cooper’s taskforce acts on the Amos and Ockenden reports – and puts the needs of women and families at the heart of maternity services It is hard to find the words to describe the agony for those who have experienced preventable baby loss, injury or maternal death. Understandably, families who have been through this have campaigned relentlessly for local and national investigations. Every family deserves to know what caused their loss or trauma, but current and past review

HousingHealthcare
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

Burnham urged to crack down on gig economy firms to protect 4m workers

Exclusive: Campaigners say millions are missing out on key rights including sick pay and protection against unfair dismissal Andy Burnham is being urged to protect 4 million gig economy workers by prosecuting companies that use widespread “bogus” self-employment practices to deny people their rights. As the prime minister fleshes out his agenda, the Fabian Society and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have warned that millions of workers are missing out on key statutory rights including parental le

EconomyDefenceReformHousing
The Guardian Politics16 Aug 2026

Angela Rayner moves to protect pubs from being turned into houses or offices

Housing secretary says developers will have to prove there’s no way to save pub, as she prepares planning shakeup All pubs will get protection from being turned into housing or offices under a shakeup of planning laws in England to be presented by Angela Rayner this week. The housing secretary will publish a new national planning policy framework aimed at loosening planning laws even further to help build 3m homes by the end of the parliament. Continue reading...

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics15 Aug 2026

Post-Brexit rights for British citizens are being undermined in Sweden

Apparent high level of removal orders suggests Sweden is rejecting ‘reasonable grounds’ for failing to apply to stay Back in October 2020, the UK immigration minister stood up in parliament to reassure campaigners concerned about EU citizens who weren’t aware they had to ask the Home Office to stay in the country after Brexit. Using an example of a child in foster care who might not know they were an EU citizen until they applied for their first job, the Conservative Kevin Foster said the UK wou

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics14 Aug 2026

Burnham temporarily bans disposable barbecue sales in ‘tinderbox’ Britain

PM urges people not to risk lives and homes by starting fires as military brought in to help deal with wildfires UK politics live – latest updates Downing Street has issued a temporary GB-wide ban on the sale of disposable barbecue and brought in the military to help deal with wildfires as Andy Burnham urged people not to risk lives in “tinderbox” Britain this weekend. The prime minister spoke from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where at least 19 people have been taken to hospital during ei

PoliticsDefenceHousingHealthcare
The Guardian Politics13 Aug 2026

Government could pay higher rents to spread asylum accommodation across UK

Greater use of private rental properties would form part of PM’s plan to spread accommodation more evenly across UK Ministers are considering paying higher prices for housing asylum seekers in private rental properties as part of Andy Burnham’s plan to spread accommodation more evenly across the country. The shift towards more private rental accommodation, known as “dispersal”, and the use of former military barracks, are cheaper than expensive hotels for asylum seekers. Continue reading...

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