Latest news with #LizzyBuchan
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'Working people paid for Tory failure - we're putting more money in pockets'
This Labour government was elected on the promise of change. Mirror readers know all too well that we've faced difficult times as a country over the last few years. People up and down the country were failed by a Conservative government who crashed the economy and sent prices soaring. It was working people who paid the price. But this government is working day and night to deliver on our promise of change, and on our number one mission to put more money in people's pockets. Today we're announcing how we're protecting low-income families and pensioners by extending the Warm Homes Discount. This will mean nearly 3 million extra households across the UK will receive £150 off their energy bills from this winter. That means a total of over 6 million households will now be eligible for the discount. This is just part of our wider mission to keep the cost of heating people's homes as low as possible. But that's not all we're doing. In just the last week we extended the £3 bus fare cap, funded free school meals for over half a million more children, and we're delivering our plans for free breakfast clubs for every child in the country. Since we entered government less than a year ago, we've acted to stabilise the economy through making difficult decisions on tax and spend – and it's working. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. Interest rates have come down four times, mortgages are cheaper, and pensions are protected. We have shielded working people's payslips from higher taxes, frozen fuel duty and boosted the minimum wage to give pay rises of up to £1,400 a year to millions of low-income workers. These are the choices we are making. Through our Plan for Change we're investing in Britain's renewal, to make you and your family better off.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'In Rochdale we know all too well the trauma girls suffered from grooming gangs'
In Rochdale, we know all too well the terrible trauma suffered by our local girls at the hands of evil grooming gangs. That's why I strongly welcome Keir Starmer's decision to order a national inquiry into this sick crime, with tough powers to force witnesses to give evidence. On Friday, we had the latest convictions of a child rape gang, made up of men from Rochdale of Pakistani heritage who preyed on girls in the early 2000s. The contrast between the bravery of the women who gave evidence in court and the cowardice of their abusers was stark. The way these paedophiles treated the teenage girls as slaves for their sexual perversion was disgusting enough. But what will also anger many people was the prosecution lawyer's statement in court that the abuse had taken place "under the noses of social workers and others who should have done far more to protect them". That's why we need this statutory inquiry - to hold accountable anyone in any position of authority who knew what was going on and failed to act. The inquiry should now follow the evidence, wherever it leads. No political party, no councillor, no police officer, no social worker, no racial group should be spared the spotlight of transparency. There can be no cover ups. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. The Prime Minister has a strong record in taking action to lock up the child rapists in our town. It was his decision as Director of Public Prosecutions to change the way cases are built for court, allowing these working class girls the day in court they deserved, that paved the way for a string of prosecutions. And when Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asked in January for Louise Casey to conduct a national audit into grooming, it was clear that she wanted a fiercely independent expert to dig into it. It sounds like Baroness Casey's findings will be as no-nonsense as all her previous work. I hope the new inquiry will now deliver the justice our girls have been denied for far too long.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Labour's Crime and Policing Bill will restore police trust
Officers have been pulled from the beat, breaking the vital connections with the areas they serve. Knife crime claimed 262 lives last year alone, and we have seen a disturbing rise of offences from shop theft to spiking and drug gangs destroying children's lives by exploiting them for criminal activity. Meanwhile, public confidence has been damaged by misconduct, while police chiefs are also crying out for radical reforms to help deliver better value for taxpayers. This government has acted. Change is underway. Our landmark Crime and Policing Bill is central to our mission to cut crime and make our streets safer. This week, that Bill takes a step closer to becoming law when it returns to the House of Commons. This is a pivotal moment for this government, and will help to deliver meaningful change to people's lives and rebuild their confidence in those tasked with protecting them. We have already introduced in the Bill strengthened powers to fight anti-social behaviour; including new Respect Orders to ban repeat offenders from town centres and the power to seize nuisance vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters without warning, and Ronan's Law will stop knives from being sold illegally online and introduce tough punishments for social media execs who allow our young people to see knife crime content online. But we are going further, strengthening this Bill. We will extend a barred list to stop disgraced officers from ever serving again, making sure only officers fit to serve are allowed to wear a badge. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. And to better protect the hardworking police who patrol our communities, we have laid an amendment that will stop them being subjected to racial and religious abuse during home visits, closing a loophole that allowed people to get away with this. This Bill is just one part of our work to keep our streets safe. This year, we have backed the police with an extra £1.2 billion, including £200 million specifically for 3,000 more officers, community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood roles by next April. Investment in the police will be boosted above inflation every year for this Spending Review period. This will mean we can continue to progress toward our 13,000 target, part of our Plan for Change. At the same time, we expect forces make the reforms needed win back the public trust. Our upcoming Police Reform White Paper will improve performances, drive up standards and improve efficiency It will not be simple, but together we will deliver on our promise to rebuilt trust in the police, cut crime and make our streets safer places to live, work and raise families.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'Free school meal boost will put £500 in parents' pockets and help kids achieve'
It's the mission of this government to put more money in the pockets of working people, make families better off, and set up every child for success. And I'm ambitious for all children. I want every child to have every opportunity and the best support to aim high, achieve good grades, and get the best education possible. That starts with the basics - it's common sense that children can't do well at school if they're hungry. That's why today I'm proud to announce that over half a million more children will get a free school meal every day. All children in a household on Universal Credit will now be eligible, giving them the support they need to learn and thrive. It will put £500 in parents' pockets, help children achieve at school, and ease cost-of-living pressures. The Mirror has long campaigned on free school meals, so I'm delighted that we're able to make this announcement today. My message to Mirror readers is this - my government will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit to give every child the best start in life. But easing the pressure on the cost of living goes beyond this announcement. That's why we're rolling out free breakfast clubs, to save parents time and money in the mornings and make sure kids have the best start to the day. It's why we're limiting the number of branded items of school uniforms, saving parents hard earned cash. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. It's why we're expanding childcare hours to bring down the costs of childcare. And it's why we're boosting the minimum wage, creating good, well paid jobs, and cracking down on unfair practices at work. The last Labour government did incredible work to lift children out of poverty. This Labour government will break the link between background and opportunity, so every single child has the chance to succeed. This is part of our Plan for Change, to break down barriers to opportunity. We're making sure families have the tools they need - so parents can be confident that their children will have every chance to go far in life and work.
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Sarah Jones - 'Free advice will help pubs and venues save cash on energy bills'
Our hospitality sector has been hit incredibly hard, with thousands of pubs serving pints and providing a meeting place for our communities closing their doors one last time over the last 15 years. These establishments scattered across our country, that are steeped in British tradition and heritage, are being swallowed up because of matters out of their control. Many of our favourite pubs and venues have faced soaring energy costs as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine – leaving us at the whim of global oil and gas prices. That is why we are driving towards clean power, getting us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices. We are also rolling out schemes to provide direct support for our cash-strapped hospitality sector – helping to protect your local boozer or café. Over 600 pubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes will take part in a trial to receive free advice on how they can become more efficient and cut their energy bills, as part of the government's Plan for Change. This will save small businesses £3 million, so they can keep more money in their pockets to grow their business, employ local people and continue to serve your pint of lager or fish and chips. Businesses will have the expertise at their fingertips to make straightforward changes to save money and cut emissions so they can focus on growing the businesses they are passionate about. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. This is exactly what businesses have been asking for, with a recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses finding that 64% of small businesses think sustainability should be a high priority for the government, but only 26% of small businesses believe they have the know-how to make their business net zero. Through this support, businesses are also estimated to cut 2,700 tonnes of carbon over the year – helping the sector go green while cutting their bills. By delivering this support, we are continuing to move forward with our plan to support British businesses - turbocharging growth, creating thousands of good jobs and a building a more sustainable future for our country.
