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New Statesman
a day ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
Jeremy Hunt: Reform's mission is to destroy the Tories
Jeremy Hunt held an extensive number of briefs in successive Conservative cabinets; culture secretary, health secretary, foreign secretary, and chancellor. He's now back on the back benches after just holding onto his seat, focusing his time on 'reading and writing'. Last week he published a new book 'Can We Be Great Again? – looking at Britain's global position, and in Hunt's opinion, why it could be greater. Is this part of his bid for the Tory leadership? And with the rise of Reform would he consider a coalition? Subscribers to the New Statesman can listen ad-free in our app. Download it on iOS or Android. Not a regular podcast listener? Read our guide on how to listen to New Statesman Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
New Statesman
a day ago
- Business
- New Statesman
Will Labour's winter fuel U-turn work?
Winston Churchill believed that 'the Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted'. The same, one minister tells me, is true of Rachel Reeves and winter fuel payments. Two days before her first Spending Review (which I preview here), Reeves has announced that winter fuel payments will be restored to three-quarters of pensioners (or all those earning below £35,000). The Chancellor wants to use the event to tell a story of pro-growth investment and dispel accusations of austerity – hence this advance U-turn. As I reported last August, plenty inside government always feared that the original £11,500 earnings threshold – above which the £200-£300 benefit was withdrawn – was too brutal. So it proved. MPs began referring to the policy as Labour's 'original sin' and it was blamed for the party's dismal performance in the local elections and its defeat to Reform in the Runcorn by-election. Though Reeves long defended the measure as an emblem of fiscal discipline, the Chancellor herself came to conclude that it was untenable (cabinet colleagues such as Ed Miliband and Liz Kendall had doubts from the start). Reeves is now making the argument that some new Labour MPs wanted her to deliver from the start: that it is 'fair' to withdraw the benefit from the 'wealthiest' pensioners (two million earn over £35,000). Such a framing could have opened up a conversation around generational inequality but the policy was instead justified as a response to the Conservatives' '£22bn black hole'. Even now, some inside government fear that an opportunity has been missed to make a values-based argument. Here, for instance, is how Gordon Brown explained his U-turn over the abolition of the 10p income tax rate in 2008. 'It really hurt that suddenly people felt I wasn't on the side of people on middle and modest incomes – because on the side of hard-working families is the only place I've ever wanted to be,' he said. 'And from now on it's the only place I ever will be.' But Reeves avoided such a moral narrative today, leaving Labour open to the charge that it has merely U-turned out of political expediency. In recent weeks she and Starmer have also sought to tie the move to an improving economy – growth of 0.7 per cent in the first quarter – yet this creates an additional headache: renewed pressure to reverse other measures (such as the health and disability benefit cuts) even as debt continues to rise. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The winter fuel episode ultimately left Labour looking both unfair and weak, a deadly combination for any government. For Reeves, the test is whether she can now escape from her own history and use this moment to reset her Chancellorship. Related
New Statesman
a day ago
- Health
- New Statesman
The Hidden Cost of Poor Lung Health
Image by Shutterstock The UK is grappling with record levels of long-term sickness and economic inactivity. Now, figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed a critical piece of the puzzle: respiratory illness. Since the pandemic, the number of working days lost to respiratory conditions has more than doubled. Now accounting for 8.7 per cent of all workplace absences, this represents a sharp increase from pre-pandemic levels and should serve as a wake-up call. Behind these statistics lies a chronic condition that often escapes the national spotlight: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Over a million people are living with COPD in the UK, but not all of that number can access care plans – with its impact felt not just in our hospitals, but across our economy, families, and communities. COPD diagnoses sit at around 1.4 million people in the UK, but as many as 2 million sufferers may remain undiagnosed. It is a progressive condition that can manifest in persistent cough, breathlessness, and flare-ups, often leading to hospitalisation. Its impact also goes far beyond the lungs. Data over recent years shows that COPD is about more than just breath – it touches every element of health and lifestyle, from the ability to work and care for others, to mental wellbeing and financial independence. With this in mind, we need to stop thinking of COPD as just a respiratory issue; it's a systemic challenge that can affect people's ability to live, work, and thrive – and it deserves a coordinated response. The economic burden is immense. COPD is one of the most common causes of emergency admissions to hospital and a key driver of long-term work absence through sickness. In more deprived communities, where diagnosis is often delayed and services harder to access, the impact is even more severe. This creates a vicious cycle: poor health contributes to poverty, which in turn leads to poorer outcomes. These pressures compound existing health inequalities and widen the gap between the most and least advantaged groups. Despite this, too little has changed in how we detect and manage COPD. Access to essential diagnostic tools such as spirometry remains patchy, and care is often fragmented between primary and secondary settings. Too many patients fall through the cracks. The good news is that we now have the tools and technologies to do better. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe A recent breakthrough in AI-driven lung testing, now being rolled out in GP surgeries, could improve diagnosis in primary care. These tools enable earlier, faster detection — crucial for giving patients a better chance at managing their condition before it becomes more severe. Combined with greater access to specialist services and joined-up care pathways, this presents a real opportunity for system-wide improvement. Indeed, it should be seen as a real moment for optimism. We are seeing innovation not just in care, but in how we identify COPD earlier and connect patients to the right support. But innovation is only meaningful if it's accessible – and that's real policy action is urgently required. It must be acknowledged that medicine alone is not enough. There needs to be a concerted effort across the system to get the right care to the right patient at the right time. That is why Sanofi has developed its Breathe Equal report, aiming to raise awareness of the challenges people with COPD face and how these can be overcome to help secure equitable care for COPD patients. Sanofi is championing the policy asks of Breathe Equal — calling for earlier diagnosis, more equitable care, and timely access to new management options for those who need them most. The Government has rightly committed to tackling economic inactivity and reducing the burden of long-term sickness. Any serious plan must include action on respiratory illness — and COPD in particular. By investing in earlier diagnosis, streamlined care, and equitable access to innovation, we can reduce pressure on the NHS, support people to stay in work, and unlock long-term benefits for individuals, communities, and the wider economy. We have all the tools and component parts — now we need to come together as the respiratory community to ensure that everyone can #BreatheEqual. This article has been written and funded by Sanofi and reviewed by Sanofi for compliance with the ABPI Code of Practice MAT-XU-2501694 (v1.0) June 2025 Related
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Writer Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin: ‘A Finnegans Wake book club ended up being one of the great reading experiences of my life'
Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin is an Irish writer living in Edinburgh. Her stories, essays and articles have appeared in Gutter, The New Statesman, The Millions, Sexualities and other publications. Her debut novel, Ordinary Saints, has just been published by Manilla Press.
New Statesman
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
Britain is trapped in a new build nightmare
If you live in a new build, or know someone who does, who might already be all too familiar with the fact that Britain has a housing problem. Yes we have a severe shortage of housing, and the government has promised to build 1.5million new homes by the end of parliament – but something which is affecting many people but remains underreported is the terrible quality of the houses being built. Will Dunn is joined by Anoosh Chakelian who has written this week's cover story: Britain's new-build nightmare Subscribers to the New Statesman can listen ad-free in our app. Download it on iOS or Android. Not a regular podcast listener? Read our guide on how to listen to New Statesman Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
