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Lib Dem Deputy Denies Pension Triple Lock Creates 'Intergenerational Injustice'
Lib Dem Deputy Denies Pension Triple Lock Creates "Intergenerational Injustice"
Social affairs
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, has defended the state pensions triple lock and said she does not believe that it leads to “intergenerational injustice”.
Andy Burnham Accuses Westminster Of Ignoring The “Bigger Picture” On Homelessness
Social affairs
Andy Burnham Accuses Westminster Of Ignoring The “Bigger Picture” On Homelessness
Major Union Boss Wants To Inspire Activism In Non-Union Workplaces
Social affairs
Major Union Boss Wants To Inspire Activism In Non-Union Workplaces
Public Spending Watchdog To Investigate Delays To Multimillion-Pound Pensions Project
Economy
Public Spending Watchdog To Investigate Delays To Multimillion-Pound Pensions Project
Government Sports Day Postponed Due To School Concrete Crisis
Education
Government Sports Day Postponed Due To School Concrete Crisis
Benefit Claimants Say Sanctions Make It Harder To Find Work
Social affairs
Benefit Claimants Say Sanctions Make It Harder To Find Work
Labour MP Demands Investigation Into Multimillion-Pound Pensions Project Running 7 Years Late
Economy
Labour MP Demands Investigation Into Multimillion-Pound Pensions Project Running 7 Years Late
The House Live
Girls’ happiness at an all-time-low: What does 15 years of Girlguiding’s Girls’ Attitudes Survey show us Partner content
Communities
By Girlguiding
Girls’ happiness at an all-time-low: What does 15 years of Girlguiding’s Girls’ Attitudes Survey show us
The hidden two million Partner content
Social affairs
By Independent Age
The hidden two million
Although I am leaving Parliament, I hope the fight for paid miscarriage leave lives on
Social affairs
By Angela Crawley MP
Although I am leaving Parliament, I hope the fight for paid miscarriage leave lives on
Most read
Tory Moderates Are Spooked By Threats Of Leaving ECHR
Tory Moderates Are Spooked By Threats Of Leaving ECHR
Foreign affairs
Former Attorney General Says Even Out Of ECHR Rwanda Plan Would Be Difficult
Former Attorney General Says Even Out Of ECHR Rwanda Plan Would Be Difficult
Home affairs
Government Under Pressure To Move Rental Reforms Through Parliament
Government Under Pressure To Move Rental Reforms Through Parliament
Communities
Editor's choiceAll
Andy Burnham Accuses Westminster Of Ignoring The “Bigger Picture” On Homelessness
Social affairs
Andy Burnham Accuses Westminster Of Ignoring The “Bigger Picture” On Homelessness
Having managed to buck the national trend of rising homelessness, Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has urged senior figures in Westminster to learn from the ways in which he has helped drive down the number of people forced onto the streets of his city.
Major Union Boss Wants To Inspire Activism In Non-Union Workplaces
Social affairs
Major Union Boss Wants To Inspire Activism In Non-Union Workplaces
General secretary of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) Paul Nowak has said he hopes that recent successes by trade union activists will help drive up membership in workplaces with low union representation, ahead of his speech at the organisation’s annual congress on Monday.
The Daisy Cooper interview: 'Our only focus is winning as many seats as possible'
Home affairs
By Tali Fraser
The Daisy Cooper interview: "Our only focus is winning as many seats as possible"
Daisy Cooper thinks the time has come for the Liberal Democrats to change British politics; and says it will only come if the party takes the Tories head-on. She talks to Tali Fraser about what the party really stands for, its stance on Europe, and why she’s approaching the election with an athletic mindset. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
Social Affairs news
How can the workplace affect our mental health?
Health
By Sophie Church
How can the workplace affect our mental health?
One in four of us will experience some form of mental health problem every year, charities claim. So what can employers do to support staff experiencing a crisis?
Top Stories: Government Unveils Family Hub Plans, Pressure Piles On Sunak To Provide Ukraine With Planes
Education
Top Stories: Government Unveils Family Hub Plans, Pressure Piles On Sunak To Provide Ukraine With Planes
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled £300m in funding for the rollout of family hubs across England, which will help give support and guidance to families with children.
Blackpool's Towering Problems
Communities
By Sophie Church
Blackpool's Towering Problems
Blackpool suffers from the lowest life expectancy at birth among both men and women, research by the
Health Foundation shows. While the average national life expectancy sits at 83 for women and 79 for men, the corresponding figures for Blackpool are 55 for women and 54 for men.
Broken Britain: Blaenau Gwent – the most deprived constituency in Wales
Economy
By Victoria Winckler
Broken Britain: Blaenau Gwent – the most deprived constituency in Wales
Blaenau Gwent is at or near the top of almost every league you don’t want to win. This small constituency, in the north-eastern corner of the South Wales valleys, is known as the birthplace of NHS founder Nye Bevan and home of the mighty Ebbw Vale steelworks. Today it is also known for its high levels of poverty and deprivation, low levels of educational qualifications and low wages. Many people would see Blaenau Gwent as an archetypal “left behind” community.
UK Economy Forecast To Shrink, Teachers Set To Strike, Labour Calls For Anti-Social Crime Crackdown
Economy
UK Economy Forecast To Shrink, Teachers Set To Strike, Labour Calls For Anti-Social Crime Crackdown
The UK is the only country in the developed world whose economy is expected to shrink next year, according to a new IMF report which has placed the blame on high energy prices and government spending rules.
Children in care are not a priority for this government
Social affairs
By Mark Kerr
Children in care are not a priority for this government
As someone committed to the protection and care of children, I am sickened and devastated to learn of the abuse that occurred within residential services provided by Hesley Group. It has been decades since we last confronted such heinous abuse.
Broken Britain: why Liverpool Walton is the Levelling Up frontline
Communities
By Tali Fraser
Broken Britain: why Liverpool Walton is the Levelling Up frontline
Liverpool Walton spans the city’s two football clubs and is home to a myriad of problems which makes the constituency the most deprived in the country. Tali Fraser reports
Red Wall seats need help to help themselves through the levelling up agenda
Communities
By Ian Levy MP
Red Wall seats need help to help themselves through the levelling up agenda
The Levelling Up White Paper was published with a great fanfare in February last year and since then we have had two new prime ministers and three new chancellors. MHCLG has become DLUHC and Michael Gove is back at the helm.
Broken Britain: Uncovering Middlesbrough's teen pregnancy problem
Health
By Eleanor Langford
Broken Britain: Uncovering Middlesbrough's teen pregnancy problem
The North Yorkshire town of Middlesbrough on the south bank of the River Tees has the unfortunate title of “teenage pregnancy capital” of England. Eleanor Langford explores the reality behind the headline.
Cladding chaos: Why some tenants are suffering from the drive to remove cladding
Health
By Andrew Kersley
Cladding chaos: Why some tenants are suffering from the drive to remove cladding
In the wake of the Grenfell tragedy, flammable cladding was removed from flats around the country. As Andrew Kersley discovers, some has yet to be replaced – and as the cost of living crisis escalates, tenants are suffering as a result
The Jonathan Ashworth interview: “We're going to shift power and resources out of Whitehall”
Economy
By Tali Fraser
The Jonathan Ashworth interview: “We're going to shift power and resources out of Whitehall”
Following his keynote speech setting out Labour’s plans for jobs and welfare, Jonathan Ashworth tells Tali Fraser about linking together health and employment services, his childhood experience of benefits and his determination to not become addicted to work.

Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
Union Leader Questions Independence Of NHS Pay Review Body
Social affairs
Union Leader Questions Independence Of NHS Pay Review Body
The leader of a union representing thousands of NHS staff has questioned the independence of the pay review body responsible for recommending rates of public sector salaries, suggesting it is “farcical” that government appoints its members.
Our ambitious levelling up agenda will unlock the potential of the entire country
Economy
By Dehenna Davison MP
Our ambitious levelling up agenda will unlock the potential of the entire country
In recent weeks, the government has applied a laser-like focus to restoring trust in the economy and dealing decisively with inflation.
Levelling Up Minister Says New Local Funding Is “Surest Way” To Tackle Rising Bills
Political parties
Levelling Up Minister Says New Local Funding Is “Surest Way” To Tackle Rising Bills
Dehenna Davison, a levelling up minister, has said that closing regional divides in pay and productivity is the “surest way to grow our economy and combat rising bills”.
Michael Gove Defends Levelling Up Funding On Rishi Sunak's Patch, New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern To Resign
Health
Michael Gove Defends Levelling Up Funding On Rishi Sunak's Patch, New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern To Resign
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has defended the decision to give long-awaited funding to a town in Rishi Sunak’s constituency.
LGBT+ Tories Call For Meeting With Scotland Secretary Over 'Toxic' Constitutional Row
Social affairs
LGBT+ Tories Call For Meeting With Scotland Secretary Over "Toxic" Constitutional Row
A group representing LGBT+ Conservatives have called for Scotland Secretary Alister Jack to meet with them, arguing that trans people are “caught up in an increasingly toxic independence, constitutional debate” between Holyrood and Westminster after the government decided to override the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Ministers Reject Criticism Of Scottish Gender Law Veto, Education Secretary 'Extremely Disappointed' By Teachers' Strike
Education
Ministers Reject Criticism Of Scottish Gender Law Veto, Education Secretary "Extremely Disappointed" By Teachers' Strike
The education secretary has rejected Nicola Sturgeon’s criticism of the government’s plan to block new gender reform laws passed by Holyrood.
Government Confirms It Will Block Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill
Social affairs
Government Confirms It Will Block Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill
The Westminster government has said it will use a Section 35 order to block the Scottish government's gender recognition reform legislation amid concerns over its impact on UK-wide legislation.
Nicola Sturgeon 'Very, Very, Very' Confident Of Defending Gender Bill
Social affairs
Nicola Sturgeon "Very, Very, Very" Confident Of Defending Gender Bill
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said her government is “very, very, very” confident of defending the Gender Recognition Reform Bill should the UK government attempt to block it becoming law.
Mapping The Oceans: Developing Blue Economies Across The Globe
Social affairs
By Kerrie Howard - Hydrographic programme manager at the UK Hydrographic Office
Mapping The Oceans: Developing Blue Economies Across The Globe
We live on a blue planet. The surface of the Earth is 71 per cent water and yet, as our reliance on the seas continues to grow, there is still much to understand about the maritime environment, the benefits it can offer and how marine resources can be used in a safe and sustainable manner – the blue economy.
There’s more than one way to be an anti-racist
Social affairs
By Inaya Folarin Iman
There’s more than one way to be an anti-racist
More than two years since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, conflicts over race and identity continue to take center stage in the public discourse.
Government Accused Of 'Extreme Ministerial Power Grab' Over EU Law Repeal Process
Brexit
Government Accused Of "Extreme Ministerial Power Grab" Over EU Law Repeal Process
Labour peer Baroness Hayter has claimed attempts by government to limit parliamentary scrutiny of the repeal of EU laws is "irresponsible and potentially dangerous", as the government prepares to review and scrap or recycle around 4,000 pieces of legislation by the end of this year.
Voter ID Will Now Be Needed At Elections – Here’s How New Rules Could Affect You
Political parties
Voter ID Will Now Be Needed At Elections – Here’s How New Rules Could Affect You
Campaigners have warned that the need for voter ID could cause chaos when it's required for the first time at local elections this May, arguing the change could undermine trust in democracy.
Rishi Sunak's 'Unworkable' Anti-Strike Laws Face 'Quagmire' Of Legal Challenges And Lords Delays
Economy
Rishi Sunak's "Unworkable" Anti-Strike Laws Face "Quagmire" Of Legal Challenges And Lords Delays
The government has confirmed plans for controversial anti-strike laws despite warnings from peers that plans "simply won't work" due to the likelihood of significant delays in Parliament and legal challenges from unions.
EventsAll
Unlocking the Senior Civil Service London
2023
London
Unlocking the Senior Civil Service London
Women in Education
2023
Women in Education
Ethnic Minorities into Leadership London
2023
Ethnic Minorities into Leadership London
Energy Security & Green Infrastructure Week 2023
2023
Online
Energy Security & Green Infrastructure Week 2023