Latest news with #LizzyBuchan
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- 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
6 days ago
- 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.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Tory neglect left NHS patients and staff in buildings barely fit for purpose'
Our NHS hospitals have been left in an appalling condition. A decade and a half of underinvestment means patients and staff are working and being treated in dilapidated old buildings that are barely fit for purpose, let alone a modern health service. Every Mirror reader will have seen and experienced the dire state of the infrastructure we inherited. Broken lifts, outdated flooring and bad lighting cause uncomfortable conditions. But worse are the burst pipes, power failures and broken heaters that cause the cancellation of vital appointments and operations. Since taking office, we have invested record amounts, totally £26 billion, to rebuild and renew the NHS through the government's Plan for Change. First things first, our hospitals require urgent maintenance to tackle issues plaguing sites up and down the country. This is about freeing up staff time, allowing them to work to the top of their abilities, and keeping patients safe. These fixes are needed now. That's why today we've allocated £750million to hospitals up and down the country to make the urgent repairs they need. 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. Patients will see and feel the difference. It means things like improved lifts, so patients can be transferred safely around hospital buildings. It means upgraded ventilation in neo-natal emergency units, giving new babies receiving critical care and new parents more comfortable conditions. And it means reliable electrics and plumbing, allowing surgeries, treatments and important consultations to go ahead without interruption, improving productivity across the health service. This is just one element of our mission to improve standards and cut waiting times right across the NHS through our Plan for Change. Today's announcement comes alongside £470million to make vital improvements to hundreds of schools right across the country – showing we're taking a cross-government approach to making improvements. And in health, these vital repairs are just the start. We're following through on our promise to deliver better care, closer to home by shifting services from hospitals into the community, including offering more at pharmacies and increasing opening hours at community diagnostic centres. We're utilising technology by expanding the NHS App to save thousands of clinical hours, and rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to give cancer patients better and safer treatment. The challenge we have to turn around the state our health service was left in is big. But by taking care of the urgent repairs needed in hospitals all over the country, we are proving that no detail is too small.
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Every day spent waiting for cancer treatment is a day of added worry'
A revolution in cancer care: How thousands of patients will benefit from high-tech new kit As someone who has received a cancer diagnosis, I know all too well the anxiety that comes with cancer care. You know it's necessary, but the last thing you want is to go back into hospital for another round of exhausting treatment. This is made worse by creaking, outdated radiotherapy machines that break down, causing appointments to be cancelled at the last minute, or take longer than needed, slowing down patients' recovery. 14 years of Conservative underinvestment left cancer patients having to be treated with clunky kit that denied them the care they deserve. Everybody knows long waits for cancer care were all too common in the NHS this government inherited. For far too long, hardworking staff have been forced to use outdated equipment, leading to breakdowns, delays and cancelled appointments for patients. The reality is stark: 13,000 appointments are lost each year due to equipment failure. This is unacceptable for patients already going through one of the most difficult experiences of their why I'm delighted to tell Mirror readers today that from August, thousands of cancer patients will see faster treatment thanks to cutting-edge new machines we're delivering at hospitals across the country. 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. Labour's Plan for Change is investing £70 million into high-tech linear accelerator (LINAC) machines. These cutting-edge radiotherapy machines will be rolled out to 28 sites covering the length and breadth of England – from Cornwall to Yorkshire, and from Teesside to Essex. By March 2027, they will deliver 27,500 additional treatments annually, meaning an extra 4,500 patients will begin their treatment on time. This kit represents the very best of medical innovation, using precise technology to target tumours more effectively while causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissue. For many patients, this means fewer hospital visits – in some cases cutting the number of required treatments by half. This precision is particularly valuable for treating cancers in hard-to-reach areas like the chest, abdomen and pelvis, where traditional radiotherapy can be more challenging and cause more side effects. There is a scientific revolution taking place today, with medical treatments changing and advancing rapidly. This government is putting our NHS at the forefront of that revolution, so all patients benefit from modern technology, not just those who can afford to go private. For anyone who has experienced cancer, you'll know that time is precious. Every day spent waiting for treatment is a day of added worry. By modernising our NHS, we will help ease the anxiety of waiting while delivering world class care.
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Rachel Reeves: 'I will fight every day to put more money in people's pockets'
A year ago, Rishi Sunak called a snap general election. The country was in a dire state. Overcrowded prisons, strikes, soaring NHS waiting lists, crumbling schools, neglected high streets, and worst of all a cost of living crisis crippling households. The country had endured fourteen years of stagnation, no growth, and no way out. The country wanted change. It has been ten months since we were elected to deliver that change. On day one I said my number one priority was to put more money in working people's pockets. I knew it wouldn't be easy. It would take time and hard work. I was honest about that. The cost of living crisis is still weighing down on families. But because of the choices we have taken and the actions of this Government we are beginning to deliver on the promise of change. At the start of the year, we had the fastest growing economy in the G7. Business investment was up 8% year on year. We have had four interest rate cuts, helping bring down the cost of mortgages and rent and helping businesses borrow to invest and grow. Retail sales have seen the biggest three-month rise in almost four years, and people are feeling more confident about their finances. But there's still more work to do. 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. As well as easing the pressure on mortgages and rent, we are relentlessly focused on bringing down other household costs. We have proposed to expand the £150 Warm Home Discount to almost 3 million more families this winter – taking the total to over six million. And it's why the Prime Minister and I have said we will restore the Winter Fuel Payments to more pensioners, when the economy allows us to, because it would be irresponsible to make promises that we can't pay for. Today the news has also come from Ofgem that the average household will save £11 a month on their energy bills from July to September, easing the burden for millions of hardworking families in the months ahead. My determination to make Britain better off doesn't stop there. As we promised, we have protected the pensions triple lock, increasing the State Pension so millions of pensioners will receive up to an additional £470 this year. And we believe that a decent day's work deserves a decent day's pay, so we boosted the minimum wage by up to £1,400 a year for 3 million workers. We've supported those most in need, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate so those on the lowest incomes can keep around £420 more of their benefits each year. We're rolling out free breakfast clubs saving working families up to £450 a year, freezing fuel duty to keep costs low for motorists, expanding eligibility for 30 hours funded childcare, we stepped in to save thousands of jobs at British Steel and secured three trade deals to protect even more jobs and deliver growth. The promise to put more money in working people's pockets has driven every single decision I've made as Chancellor. I will fight every day to deliver on that promise, and to make Britain better off.
