Vital routes to be protected as part of buses overhaul
'This is about Labour clinging to a fantasy of municipal socialism, whatever the cost to those who rely on local transport. Without the requirement to prove any benefit to passengers, Labour-run councils will be free to run yet another public service into the ground.
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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'Rachel Reeves wants to change the tune - and it's not all about Reform'
After a drumbeat of gloomy stories about spending cuts, today Rachel Reeves sought to change the tune. Her story is of a Labour government pouring billions of pounds into towns and cities outside London, making it easier for ordinary Brits to get good jobs, afford their own homes and start businesses. At a bus factory in Rochdale, she began to sketch this out with a £15.6billion package to overhaul creaking transport systems in the North and Midlands, improving people's daily lives, and attracting investment and jobs. There will be more details to come in next week's Spending Review but today's announcement was a statement of intent. It was a message to voters still unsure of Labour's vision for Britain and ground down by years of broken promises. But it was also a message to Labour MPs and ministers. She fired off a warning to Cabinet ministers still battling for more cash from the Treasury for their departments, saying they won't "get everything they want". And she insisted her strict fiscal rules were non-negotiable in a blow to MPs who have urged her to change course. Next week's Spending Review is going to be difficult, with cuts looming for unprotected departments like the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing to plug the gap after major cash boosts for health and defence. So Ms Reeves is offering them something else. Spades in the ground and cranes in the sky can help MPs to face down Nigel Farage's Reform, who are on the march in Labour's heartlands, capitalising on voter mistrust. Mr Farage looms large over politics at the moment - but this isn't all about him (despite what he might say). The Chancellor, who is a Leeds MP, has long wanted to rip up the rules holding back an investment boom in the North and the Midlands, and to show Labour is delivering for the voters that put them in power. It's not just about Reform, it's about years of Tory austerity and broken promises. 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. There are two problems. First, long term investment may not offer the sugar hit that voters want. And the second is that people have been made these promises before. Brexiteers said leaving the EU would help left behind parts of Britain but nearly 10 years on, Brits are still waiting to feel the benefits. Boris Johnson said he would level up the country but never delivered on it. Rishi Sunak made the same commitment but his levelling up agenda was beset by delays and claims that cash for the North was being diverted South. His decision to announce he was axing the northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester... in Manchester, was a particular low point. Reeves acknowledged that trust is low and she said she knows "people aren't feeling benefits" yet from a Labour Government. But she is hoping that she can tell a compelling story about how Labour will change Britain - and deliver where the Tories failed.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Concerns raised over Presiding Officer meeting with Chinese official
Alison Johnstone is set to meet with the Chinese official today (Wednesday), with Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie writing a letter urging her to speak up. The party, who Johnstone was an MSP for after the 2021 Holyrood election before standing down to become Presiding Officer, also highlighted the date the meeting is taking place. This is because the meeting is taking place on the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. READ MORE: Labour MPs visit Israel on lobbying trip in middle of Gaza genocide On June 4 1989, hundreds of protesters were murdered, and thousands injured or arrested by the Chinese military. In the letter, Harvie said holding these sorts of meeting is 'consistent' with Johnstone's role. But he added: 'Where such meetings are required, I would trust that the human rights issues are always addressed directly in discussions. "This is not only important in relation to inter-governmental meetings; as a democratic body it is important that the Parliament itself speaks up for democratic values, especially when meeting with regimes which suppress pro-democracy movements.' Harvie went on: 'Additionally, in this particular instance I am sure you will also be aware that today is the anniversary of the anti-democratic violence generally known as the Tiananmen Square massacre. "I was extremely surprised that this particular meeting should have been timed to coincide with the anniversary of such a violent assault against pro-democracy campaigners. 'I am asking for your assurance that you have made clear, or that you will make clear, to the Consul General the Scottish Parliament's commitment to human rights and democracy, and the international community's longstanding call for a re-evaluation of the Chinese Government's position on the use of excessive and lethal force against legitimate protest on June 4th 1989, including justice for the perpetrators and reparations for the victims.'
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Security minister ‘confident' small boat numbers will go down, while French fail to intercept boats
This weekend, small boat crossings hit a record single-day high for the year. ITV News Political Correspondent Shehab Khan rode along with an immigration raid to see how the government plans to tackle the rise The security minister says he is "confident" that co-operation with French police will reduce small boat crossings, despite a loophole that stops their officers from intercepting migrants once they are in the sea. In an interview with ITV News Political Correspondent Shehab Khan, Dan Jarvis said: "I'm confident the agreement we've recently reached with the French will make a meaningful difference and we'll be able to get the numbers down." But at the weekend, crossings hit a record high for a single day this year, as rules for French police often prevent them from intervening while migrants pile into boats to cross the Channel. A loophole in French law means police are unable to intercept migrants if they are already in the water - something ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith saw in action in Dunkirk earlier this month. The French interior minister agreed in principle to close the loophole earlier this year, but that has yet to happen. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons on Monday she is "urging" the French to close the loophole as "swiftly as possible". When pressed on how those discussions are going, Jarvis said: "The Home Secretary has been in touch with the French interior minister... We do need the closest possible working relationship with the French, that is critical to reducing the number of people who are crossing the channel." Jarvis insisted the level of boat crossings is "unacceptably high", but "the way to get these numbers down is through cooperation with the French and with other allies and partners further afield." On Tuesday the Home Office released data for the first time showing the likelihood of migrant crossings based on the weather. The statistics showed that the number of "red days", meaning days where good weather made crossings more likely, has almost doubled since Labour took power. There were 149 'red' days between July 1 2024 and April 30 2025, a period that coincides broadly with the time since Labour won the general election on July 4. Some 34,401 migrants arrived in the UK during this period after making the journey across the Channel. In the equivalent period 12 months earlier – from July 1 2023 to April 30 2024 – there was almost half the number of 'red' days (77) and a lower number of arrivals (25,571). The statistics also show the number of people cramming onto the dangerous boats has also increased dramatically - with the number of boats carrying more than 80 people tripling in the past year. There were 33 occasions where more than 80 people crammed onto a small boat in the year to April 2025, compared to 11 in the previous year. Home Office data from the weekend also showed showed 1,195 migrants arrived in 19 boats on Saturday - the first time daily crossings topped a thousand in 2025. Writing on social media site X on Monday, the Prime Minister said: 'You have every right to be angry about small boat crossings. 'I'm angry too. 'We are ramping up our efforts to smash the people smuggling gangs at source.' He claimed hundreds of boats and engines had been 'seized', raids on illegal working were up, and 'almost 30,000 people' had been returned. The Conservatives are urging the government to suspend the recent agreement giving EU fishing boats access to UK waters until 2038, in order to force the French to act. When asked about whether the government would consider such a move, Jarvis would not be drawn, saying: "The Prime Minister has said that border security is national security, and that's why this is such a big priority of this government. The Home Secretary has been in touch with the authorities in France, we're working very closely with them."
