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327 headlines found — Page 3 of 28

The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

UK heatwave live: Met Office issues extreme heat warning as government convenes emergency Cobra meeting

Parts of country face fifth heatwave of the summer with highs of 38C forecast this week We have some comments from the Liberal Democrats and Green party on the Cobra emergency meeting scheduled for later today. While welcoming the government’s announcement, the Lib Dem environment spokesperson Pippa Heylings said emergency meetings were not enough to put out fires or protect our communities, saying “we urgently need a national strategy to make the UK climate-ready”. Continue reading...

DefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Probation chief says he’s ‘not fully confident’ service will cope with early prisoner releases – UK politics live

Martin Jones expresses concern scheme will increase pressure on probation service as Burnham addresses controversy over PC Harper’s killers Good morning. Andy Burnham is chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee this afternoon to discuss the heatwave and the climate crisis. About time too, some people will say. One of them is Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, who has been calling for this and who posted this on social media in response. Good. Now we need action. Tax f

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentCrime
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

UK heatwaves may have cost economy £4.4bn in lost output so far this year, analysis finds

Verdant thinktank says cost could top £25bn a year by 2030 and calls for maximum temperature for working and urban redesign to cool down cities Repeated debilitating heatwaves this summer are likely to have cost the UK economy more than £4bn in lost economic output by the end of July, new analysis shows. Green thinktank Verdant had suggested June’s unseasonally hot weather had an economic cost of £2.36bn. Updating its assessment to include last month’s high temperatures, it finds a £4.4bn hit to

EconomyEnvironment
The Guardian Politics11 Aug 2026

To all the betting shops littering our high streets: people power is coming and the odds are against you | Dawn Butler

Too many shops are blighting too many communities. With the rule change I fought for now on the horizon, ordinary people can fight back How much gambling do you want in your high street? Are you happy with all the betting shops, the problems they cause, the effect on your environment? It’s worth asking because for years, local councils have been expected to say yes to new gambling venues, even when communities made clear they did not want them. Now, under new rules announced on Monday, that’s a

Environment
The Guardian Politics10 Aug 2026

Thames Water faces row over £1m payment to finance chief

Campaign group says firm is ‘taking the mickey’ by paying fee and Andy Burnham should nationalise it Business live – latest updates Thames Water has paid its chief financial officer, Steve Buck, a £1m signing fee despite intense scrutiny of Britain’s biggest water company’s finances as it tries to avoid being taken into public control. The utility revealed that it made the payment last month, in a letter sent last week by Adrian Montague, its chair, to MPs on the environment, food and rural af

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics9 Aug 2026

‘I was on my honeymoon!’: Hamish Falconer’s surprise call-up to Burnham’s cabinet

New EU negotiator, who previously helped free Taliban hostages, thought it was safe to book holiday during recess When Hamish Falconer left his career as a Foreign Office diplomat for the hostile environment of a Labour party selection process, one of his last acts was a negotiation to free six hostages from the Taliban. When he won the key marginal seat of Lincoln in the 2024 general election, he did not expect to be back in those offices on King Charles Street quite so quickly – he was appoint

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics8 Aug 2026

Sadiq Khan calls on Andy Burnham to commit to climate action as pressure grows over North Sea oil

London mayor points to ‘terrifying scenes’ this summer amid speculation Burnham may back Jackdaw and Rosebank projects Sadiq Khan: This burning summer is the proof: the voices of climate denial aren’t just delusional, they’re deadly Sadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves. Writing in the Guardian, the mayor of London said that Andy Burnham’s admini

Environment
The Guardian Politics6 Aug 2026

Octopus Energy denies it is anti-union as workers push for recognition

GMB says that as a top-rated ethical company, UK’s largest energy firm should welcome involvement of unions Workers are pushing for union recognition at the UK’s largest energy company, Octopus Energy, known as a progressive organisation with a focus on renewable energy. The GMB union is planning to submit a formal proposal for voluntary recognition at the London-based company and says Octopus, as a top rated ethical business, should welcome the involvement of trade unions. Continue reading...

Environment
The Guardian Politics5 Aug 2026

NHS must prepare for annual summer heat pressures, says Yvette Cooper

Health secretary says global heating means UK hospitals and GPs will have to prepare for summer as well as winter peaks of demand Adapting to global heating: which UK public services are struggling in hot weather? The NHS has been warned to prepare for potential annual summer crises caused by extreme heat with the same pressures as winter, as heatwaves caused by the climate crisis become routine in the UK. The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said NHS staff were feeling A&E pressures that would

DefenceEnvironmentHealthcare
The Guardian Politics5 Aug 2026

Right turn on green: is the Telegraph changing its tune on the climate?

Flurry of articles has raised eyebrows and drawn response from Kemi Badenoch defending stance on net zero “Nobody can deny that the UK is getting warmer and high temperatures are becoming a clear threat to homes, nature and food security,” read the lengthy news report, which explored the devastating effect of British wildfires on families in recent years. The article’s conclusions, written after the wildfires in Suffolk last week, were no surprise given the UK’s changing climate. However, the fa

DefenceEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

Government contracts to require job creation instead of green targets under new rules

Louise Haigh says taxpayer money must benefit local communities amid backlash from environmental groups Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work. As part of a government push to reduce the number of people not in education, employment or training (Neets) in the UK and boost regional growth, public sector buyers will double t

EconomyDefenceEducationEnvironment
The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

BP boss urges Burnham to prioritise UK oil and gas even as firm exits North Sea

Meg O’Neill says ‘where we generate jobs, we generate tax revenue’, as company’s profits more than double Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis Nils Pratley: BP boss is unsentimental in pruning portfolio and clear on North Sea advice to Burnham BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin. In a conversation with th

EconomyDefenceEnvironment