STARMER RESHUFFLES CABINET FOLLOWING RAYNER RESIGNATION
LABOUR leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked his Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray.
The Edinburgh South MP was very much a Starmer loyalist and the sacking has come as a major surprise.
Labour peer Baron (George) Foulkes of Cumnock said on X: “If it is true that @IanMurrayMP has been sacked as Secretary of State for Scotland it is a disgraceful decision.
“He held the fort well as Shadow Secretary through the lean years & has been a brilliant Secretary of State.”
HOME SECRETARY UPDATES WESTMINSTER FOLLOWING SUMMER RECESS
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a statement in parliament yesterday on actions the government is taking with France to strengthen border security and reforms to the asylum system:
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will update the House on the actions we are taking with France to strengthen our border security and the next steps on our reforms to the asylum system.
Now to be aware when we came into the government, we found an asylum and immigration system in chaos.
Small boat gangs for 7 years had been allowed to embed their criminal trade along the French coast. The asylum backlog was soaring. Illegal working was being ignored.
It is little wonder that people right across the country lost confidence in the system and demanded to know why they were paying the price of a system that was so out of control.
But that does not mean people rejected the long and proud history of Britain doing our bit to help those fleeing persecution or conflict – including in the past decade families from Ukraine, Syria and Hong Kong.
It is the British way, to do our bit alongside other countries to help those who need sanctuary.
But the system has to be controlled and managed, based on fair and properly enforced rules, not chaos and exploitation driven by criminal smuggler gangs.
It is exactly because of that important tradition, that substantial reforms are needed now.
In our first year, we have taken immediate action, laying the foundations for more fundamental reform.
We have restored asylum decision making and then rapidly increased the rate of decisions.
Instead, we removed 35,000 people with no right to be here, including a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and a 14% increase in removals of foreign criminals.
We have increased raids and arrests on illegal working by 50%, and we cut the annual hotel bill by almost a billion pounds in the last financial year. We are rolling out digital ID and biometric kits so immigration enforcement can check on the spot whether someone has a right to work or a right to be in the UK.
And on Channel crossings and organised immigration crime we are putting in place new powers, new structures and new international agreements to help dismantle the criminal industry behind small boats.
I want to update the House on the further steps we are now taking.
In August I signed the new treaty with France allowing us for the first time to directly return those who arrive on small boats.
The first detentions took place the next day – of people immediately on arrival at Dover.
We expect the first returns to begin later this month.
Applications have also been opened for the reciprocal legal route, with the first cases under consideration, subject to the strict security checks.
We have made clear this is a pilot scheme – the more that we prove the concept at the outset, the better we will be able to develop and grow it.
But the principles it embodies are crucial.
Because no one should be making these dangerous or illegal journeys on small boats.
And if they do, we want to see them swiftly returned.
But in return, we believe in doing our bit alongside other countries to help those who have fled persecution through managed and controlled legal programmes.
This summer we have also taken further action to strengthen enforcement against the smuggling gangs.
France has reviewed its maritime approach to allow for the interception of taxi boats in French waters, and we will continue to work with them to implement this change as soon as possible.
In the last year, the NCA has led 347 disruptions of immigration crime networks – their highest level on record and a 40% increase in a year.
Over the summer, we announced a £100 million uplift in funding for border security and up to 300 more personnel in the NCA focussing on targeting gangs.
The Border Security Bill will give them stronger powers. Counter terrorism powers against smuggler gangs and powers to seize and download mobile phones of small boat arrivals.
And the power to ban sex offenders from the asylum system altogether.
Those powers could be in place within months, making our country safer and more secure. (Political content redacted)
Let me turn now to the major reforms that are needed to fix the broken asylum system we inherited.
Although we have increased decision making and increased returns the overall system remains outdated, sclerotic and unfair.
So, as we set out in the Immigration White Paper, we will shortly set out radical reforms to modernise the asylum system and boost our border security.
Tackling the pull factors. Strengthening enforcement. Making sure people are treated fairly. Reforming the way that the ECHR is interpreted here at home. Speeding up the system, cutting numbers and ending the use of hotels. And developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees.
At the heart of these reforms will be a complete overhaul of the appeals system.
The biggest obstacle to reducing the size of the asylum system and ending hotel use.
Tens of thousands of people in asylum accommodation are currently waiting for appeals and under the current system that figure is set to grow, with an average wait time of 54 weeks.
We have already funded thousands of additional sitting days this year.
And the Border Security Bill will introduce a statutory timeframe of 24 weeks.
But we need to go further. So, we will introduce a new independent body to deal with immigration and asylum appeals fully independent of government, staffed by professionally trained adjudicators, with safeguards to ensure high standards but able to surge capacity as needed and accelerate and prioritise cases, alongside new procedures to tackle repeat applications and unnecessary delays.
We are also increasing detention and returns capacity – including a 1,000-bed expansion at Campsfield and Haslar, with the first tranche of additional beds coming online within months to support many thousands more enforced removals each year.
Our reforms will also address the overly complex system for family migration, including changes to the way Article 8 of the ECHR is interpreted.
We should be clear that international law is important – it is because other countries know we abide by it that we have been able to do new agreements with France to return people who arrive on small boats, to make new agreements with Germany to stop the warehousing of small boats by criminal gangs and to explore return hubs partnerships with other European countries.
But we also need the interpretation of international law to keep up with the realities and challenges of today’s world.
But there is one area where we also need to make more immediate changes.
The current rules for family reunion for refugees were designed many years ago to help families separated by war, conflict and persecution.
But the way they are being used now has changed.
Even just before the pandemic, refugees who applied to bring family to the UK did so on average more than 1 or 2 years after they were granted protection.
Long enough for them to get jobs, find housing and be able to provide their family with some support.
In Denmark and Switzerland, currently those granted humanitarian protection are not able to apply to bring family for at least 2 years after protection has been granted.
Here in the UK now however those applications now come in on average within 1 month, even before a newly granted refugee has left asylum accommodation. As a consequence, refugee families who arrive are far more likely to seek homelessness assistance.
Some councils are finding that more than a quarter of their family homelessness applications are linked to refugee family reunion. That is not sustainable.
Currently there are also no conditions on family reunion for refugee sponsors unlike those in place if the sponsor is a British citizen or a long-term UK resident. That is not fair.
Finally, the proportion of migrants who have arrived on small boats and who then apply to bring family has also increased sharply in recent years.
With signs that smuggler gangs are now able to use the promise of family reunion to promote dangerous boat journeys to the UK.
Mr Speaker, we continue to believe that families staying together is important. It is why we will seek to prioritise family groups among the applicants to come to Britain under our new deal with France.
But reforms are needed. In our asylum policy statement later this year, we will set out a new system for family migration.
Including contribution requirements, longer periods before newly granted refugees can apply, and dedicated control arrangements for unaccompanied children, and for those fleeing persecution who have family in the UK. We aim to have some of those changes in place for the spring.
In the meantime, we need do to address the immediate pressures on local authorities.
And the risks from criminal gangs using family reunion as a pull factor to encourage more people onto boats.
Therefore, we are bringing forward new Immigration Rules this week to temporarily suspend new applications under the existing dedicated Refugee Family Reunion route. Until the new framework is introduced, refugees will be covered by the same Family Migration rules and conditions as everyone else.
Mr Speaker, let me turn next to the action we are taking to ensure that every asylum hotel will be closed for good under this government.
Not just by shifting individuals from hotels to other sites, but by driving down the numbers in supported accommodation overall.
Not in a chaotic way, through piecemeal court judgements, but through a controlled, managed and orderly programme, driving down inflow into the asylum system, clearing the appeals backlog which is crucial, and continuing to increase returns.
Within the asylum estate, we are reconfiguring sites, increasing room-sharing, tightening the test for accommodation and working at pace to identify alternative cheaper and more appropriate accommodation with other government departments and with local authorities.
And we are increasing standards and security and joint public safety cooperation between the police, accommodation providers and the Home Office to ensure that laws and rules are enforced.
Mr Speaker, I understand and agree with local councils and communities who want the asylum hotels in their communities closed.
Because we need to close all asylum hotels, and we need to do so for good.
But that must be done in a controlled and orderly manner, (…) that led to the opening of hotels in the first place.
Finally, Mr Speaker, let me update the House on the continued legal and controlled support we will provide for those facing conflict and persecution.
We will continue to do our bit to support Ukraine – extending the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme by a further 24 months, with further details to be set out in due course.
We are also taking immediate action to rescue children who have been seriously injured in the horrendous onslaught on civilians in Gaza so they can get the urgent health treatment they need.
The Foreign Secretary will update the House shortly on the progress to get those children out.
I can confirm the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for children and their immediate accompanying family members.
We have done the same for all the Chevening scholars and are in the process of doing so now for the next group of students who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn this year.
Later this year, we will set out our plans to establish a permanent framework for refugee students to come study in the UK so that we can help talented young people fleeing war and persecution to find a better future. Alongside capped and managed ways for refugees to work here in the UK.
Mr Speaker, this is a government determined to fix every aspect of the broken system we inherited and restore the confidence of the British people.
What we will never do is seek to stir up chaos, division or hate.
That is not who we are as a country. That is not what Britain stands for.
A practical plan to strengthen our border security, to fix the asylum chaos and to rebuild confidence in an asylum and immigration system that serves our national interest, protects our national security, and reflects our national values.
Because, when we wave the Union Flag, when we wave the St George’s Flag, when we sing God Save The King, and celebrate everything that is great about Britain and about our country.
We do so with pride because of the values that our flags, our King, and our country represent.
Togetherness, Fairness and Decency.
Respect for each other, and respect for the Rule of Law.
That is what our country stands for.
That is the British way to fix the problems we face.
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill in Tokyo to champion Scottish produce
Boosting trade and investment between Scotland and Japan are top of the agenda as UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill embarks on a three day visit to Osaka and Tokyo.
The Scotland Office Minister will meet with business leaders and politicians to promote Brand Scotland’s iconic goods and services and encourage Japanese inward investment as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change to boost the economy and put more money in the pockets of working Scots.
While at the Osaka Expo 2025, Minister McNeill will join the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Indo-Pacific Minister Catherine West in meeting leading Japanese life sciences firms for a discussion around opportunities in the UK market following publication of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.
Scotland is one of the largest health and life science clusters in Europe, employing more than 41,000 people across 770 organisations and generating more than £10 billion annually for the Scottish economy.
More broadly the Expo – Japan’s biggest international event of the decade, with more than 150 countries taking part and 28 million visitors expected over its six-month span (running from mid-April to mid-October) – provides an opportunity for the UK to strengthen relationships with like-minded partners across fields from defence and security to sustainability and energy transition.
Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “Brand Scotland is about selling the best of Scotland to the world and encouraging inward investment to create jobs and opportunities for Scots.
“Scottish companies already export £484 million of goods and £475 million of services annually to Japan and there is scope for so much more. The UK-Japan partnership is closer than it has been for decades, with intensified cooperation across the entire breadth of UK economic growth and security interests, including defence, digital, cyber, science and innovation and trade and investment.
“Trade missions such as this help foster even greater collaboration and I look forward to promoting the very best of Scotland in Japan and embedding Scottish produce, such as seafood, in Japanese gastronomy.
“The UK Government is doing everything it can to help Scottish businesses make the most of opportunities overseas as part of our Plan for Change to grow our economy and put more money in people’s pockets.”
Minister Catherine West said: “The UK-Japan relationship is the closest it has been in decades, from trade to security and defence. As the Emperor said, we are friends like no other.
“And there is no better advert for the UK than taking part in Expo 2025. It’s a chance to show our strengths in areas like science and tech and invite Japan and the world to ‘Come Build the Future’.”
At the Expo, both Ministers will also meet with Lord Mendoza, a member of the UK Soft Power Council’s Europe Committee, to discuss how Scotland’s soft power strengths can be fully utilised.
Then in Tokyo, Minister McNeill will attend the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo where she will meet with Seafood Scotland which is taking a delegation of businesses to the show for a tenth year.
Japan is among the UK’s top export locations for products like mackerel and is a growing market for a range of other British products. Scottish mackerel now accounts for around 20% of all imported mackerel into Japan, up from just 2% in 2019.
The Expo is an important opportunity to help the Scottish seafood sector as it begins to re-establish Scottish salmon in the Japanese market, after many recent years of Norwegian dominance.
Donna Fordyce, CEO, Seafood Scotland said: “We are delighted to have the support of the Scotland Office, the Minister, and Brand Scotland in showcasing the very best of our seafood on the world stage.
“Japan is an important market for Scotland’s premium catch, and this mission provides a valuable platform for our producers to connect with influential buyers, chefs, and media. Together, we are championing the quality, provenance, and sustainability that make Scottish seafood stand out.”
Adam Wing, Head of Trade Marketing (UK, Middle East & Asia), Seafood Scotland said: “Over the past decade, we have worked hard to establish and grow Scottish seafood exports to Japan, building strong relationships with buyers, chefs, and industry partners.
“This year marks our 10th visit to the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone with the Minister alongside our delegation of seven exceptional Scottish seafood companies.
“We look forward to strengthening these ties and unlocking new opportunities for our world-class mackerel, salmon, and premium shellfish.”
While in Tokyo Minister McNeill will also meet with Sumitomo Electric to discuss progress in the construction of its £350 million subsea cable factory at the port of Nigg in the Scottish Highlands.
The factory – due to be completed in mid-2026 – will contribute significantly towards the UK’s capability to deliver renewable energy to UK consumers. The project is creating around.150 jobs.
And she will meet Eurus Energy to hear about its offshore wind project currently under development in Scotland. The Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm will be located 7.5km off the coast of Dounreay in Caithness. The project’s operational lifespan will be up to 25 years, and it will generate enough green electricity to power up to 70,000 homes.
The Minister will also visit Venture Café, Tokyo, where she will announce the opening of a Venture Cafe in Edinburgh in November.
Venture Cafés are hubs which provide a space for entrepreneurs all over the world to come together and innovate.
Mike Jackson, Head of Venture Café UK, said: We are delighted to welcome Minister McNeill to Venture Café in Tokyo and we are grateful for the support of the Scotland Office as we prepare to open our new cafe in Edinburgh, as part of our Activation Partnership with the Advanced Research + Invention Agency’s (ARIA).
“In a world dominated by digital connections, the real magic still happens when people meet in person, especially when they do so regularly.
“That’s what Venture Café is all about. Edinburgh has always been a hub of innovation and is now powering ahead in areas such as AI by being the future home of the new national supercomputer. We’re here to help innovators of all kinds to come together, collaborate and turn the best ideas into reality.”
And Minister McNeill will provide some remarks at a UK music trade mission reception at the British Residence in Tokyo to promote creative industries in the UK.
The Minister will also meet the current His Majesty’s Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom, and New Zealand’s ambassador to Japan, Hamish Cooper, who is being posted as High Commissioner to the UK as his next appointment.
As pupils across the city await their exam results, Gordon Macdonald MSP has highlighted the support offered by the SNP which ‘allows all those seeking further education opportunities to seize them.’
From August 1st, tuition fees in England and Wales have risen to £9,535, with the average debt for students graduating now an eye-watering £53,000.
In Scotland, the SNP made university tuition free for all Scottish students, with tailored support for care experienced students worth up to £11,400.
In addition, there is more than £100 million funding to support Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships with around 400,000 apprenticeship opportunities provided to young people across the country since 2008.
Gordon Macdonald MSP said: “In Labour-run England and Wales, tuition fees and student debt are mounting.
“But here in Edinburgh students can attend university for free, with extra support for those who need it as well as funding for alternative pathways.
“We are making more opportunities available to young people while the Labour Party lumps costs on the next generation.
“That’s the difference made with the SNP in government.”
A new report from the Work and Pensions Committee has raised concerns that planned cuts to the health component of Universal Credit (UC health) will push disabled people into poverty despite the above inflation rise in the UC standard allowance.
In its Pathways to Work report, the Committee repeated calls to delay planned cuts in UC health reform until the full impact of the changes are better understood.
The Committee wrote to the Secretary of State in May calling for a pause of the planned reforms to UC health and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and called for PIP policy to be co-produced with disabled people.
The Government subsequently dropped all the PIP proposals and agreed to co-produce a new PIP assessment process with disabled people and their organisations in a review led by Sir Stephen Timms.
However, under the planned reforms to UC health, from April 2026 although all existing claimants and new claimants with severe or terminal conditions will be protected, other claimants assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity will see their awards halved from £423.27 to £217.26.
This is part of the Government’s drive to get more people off welfare and into work, as described in their Pathways to Work Green Paper.
Although the intent to safeguard these people was welcomed, MPs on the Committee raised concerns that some conditions, particularly serious mental health conditions, might not be included under the severe condition criteria; this also applies to people with fluctuating conditions.
The Committee also asked the Secretary of State why an assessment of safeguarding risks had not been conducted before the Green Paper was published.
Committee Chair Debbie Abrahams said: “We welcome the concessions that the Government made to the UC and PIP Bill (now the UC Bill); but there are still issues with these welfare reforms not least with the cut in financial support that newly sick and disabled people will receive.
“The Government’s own analysis published in March indicates that from next April approximately 50,000 people who develop a health condition or become disabled – and those who live with them – will enter poverty by 2030 as a result of the reduction in support of the UC health premium.
“We recommend delaying the cuts to the UC-health premium, especially given that other policies that such as additional NHS capacity, or employment support, or changes in the labour market to support people to stay in work, have yet to materialise.
“We agree in a reformed and sustainable welfare system, but we must ensure that the wellbeing of those who come into contact with it is protected.
“The lesson learned from last month should be that the impact of policy changes to health-related benefits must be assessed prior to policy changes being implemented to avoid potential risks to claimants.”
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin has written to Steve Reed calling for a retraction of comments regarding the quality of water in Scotland.
The text of Ms Martin’s letter in full:
To: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed MP
From: Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin
Dear Steve,
Independent Water Commission
I am writing following the publication of the final report from the Independent Water Commission led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, and to request that you retract inaccurate and misleading comments regarding the quality of water in Scotland.
The Commission’s report notes that 66% of Scotland’s water bodies are of good ecological status as compared with 16.1% in England and 29.9% in Wales. Whilst we of course need to be careful how these figures are used, as they are not calculated on the same basis, it is clear that Scotland has a higher performance.
The report correctly points out that this is, in part, due to population density. However, it is also worth reflecting that much of the improvement is due to significant investment in the water industry to reduce pollution driven by Scottish Water and SEPA and efforts made by SEPA to address pollution from other sources such as agriculture.
I was therefore extremely disappointed to hear you make inaccurate and misleading comments regarding performance in Scotland and to dismiss out of hand the value of public ownership of a key asset like water.
During a Channel 4 News interview last night, when asked about public ownership, you stated:
“In any case, it is not guaranteed to work…and we know that from looking north of the border where, in Scotland, they have a nationalised water company but pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England.”
Leaving aside my slight confusion at a Minister in the United Kingdom government referring to Scotland as ‘they’, I cannot understand how you could make such an inaccurate comment when the very report that you were on the programme to discuss clearly states the opposite.
Your comments sought also to undermine the idea of public ownership in the minds of voters, yet this is clearly what the people of Scotland continue to want. Indeed, it is the very fact of that public ownership and control which has allowed us to keep water bills lower for people, compared to what people with privatised water supplies in England have to pay.
While there is clearly more to do, 87% of Scotland’s entire water environment is assessed by SEPA as having a ‘high’ or ‘good’ classification for water quality – up from 82% in 2014. That is also, in part, due to water being a publicly owned asset, allowing for investment without shareholder returns or the pressure to make profits.
I am therefore asking that you acknowledge that your comments were inaccurate, that you apologise publicly for making them and seek to correct them.
The Commission’s report makes a number of recommendations which may have cross-UK impacts or opportunities which I would welcome further engagement across the four Nations.
I hope this can be done in an attitude of mutual understanding about the collective challenges we face – but also with a clear understanding of what delivers the best outcomes for the public.
Westminster’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns of lack of clarity over how much tax is paid or avoided by the very wealthy, as new report highlights significant opportunities to collect more revenue.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) cannot identify how much tax is paid by UK billionaires. In a report on collecting the right tax from wealthy individuals, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) calls on HMRC to publish its plan for increasing tax yield from wealthy taxpayers both domestically and offshore.
Despite UK billionaires making up a relatively small number of people and the significant sums of money involved, the PAC was disappointed to find that HMRC cannot use the wide range of data it uses to identify wealthy people to provide transparency about the tax paid by the wealthiest.
A billionaire has wealth and assets 500x greater than a wealthy person who just meets HMRC’s definition* of ‘wealthy’, and so has huge potential on their own to affect how much revenue is available for public spending.
The PAC is seeking HMRC’s plan for improving its understanding of the wealth and assets held by billionaires, including how it might immediately start work on comparing available data on known billionaires, such as the Sunday Times Rich List, with its own records.
HMRC’s has done well to ensure wealthy taxpayers comply with tax rules brought in an additional £5.2 billion of tax revenue in 2023-24. This is a significant increase from £2.2 billion in 2019-20. However, the report notes that the scale of this success suggests either wealthy non-compliance has got worse, or that previous estimates of their tax avoidance were too low, and finds that HMRC needs to improve its assessment of the amount of tax that the wealthy avoid paying.
The tax authority told the inquiry that the tax gaps* for wealthy people and for offshore wealth are particularly difficult to measure. Given these difficulties, and the deficiencies in HMRC’s information on wealth, the PAC concerned that HMRC is overly confident and optimistic in its estimate that the wealthy tax gap is only £1.9bn.
Its partial estimate of the offshore tax gap, of £0.3bn, seems far too low, particularly when compared with UK residents holding £849bn in offshore accounts in 2019.
The PAC’s report finds that in 2023-24, there were only 25 criminal prosecutions of wealthy people and 456 penalties (down from 1,747 in 2022-23). This is despite the average time HMRC takes to close an investigation increasing every year between 2018-19 to 2022-23.
For investigations yielding more than £100,000, the average duration in 2023-24 was 40 months.
The PAC finds it particularly disappointing that HMRC has issued no penalties to enablers of tax evasion, despite acknowledging unscrupulous advisers often play a key role in helping the wealthy evade tax, and recommends HMRC assess whether it is using its powers to tackle non-compliance by the wealthy sufficiently, in particular, whether it makes sufficient use of available sanctions.
Lloyd Hatton MP, Member of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “This report is not concerned with political debate around the redistribution of wealth.
“Our Committee’s role is to help HMRC do its job properly ensuring wealthy people pay the correct tax. While HMRC does deserve some great credit for securing billions more in the tax take from the wealthiest in recent years, there is still a very long way to go before we can reach a true accounting of what is owed.
“We already know a great deal about billionaires living in the UK, with much information about their tax affairs and wealth in the public domain.
“So we were disappointed to find that HMRC, of all organisations, was unable to provide any insight into their tax affairs from its own data – particularly given that any single one of these individuals’ contributions could make a significant difference to the overall picture.
“We found a similar apparent lack of curiosity in how wide the tax gap is both for the very wealthy and for wealth stashed away offshore.
“Our report shows that, however you slice it, there is a lot of money being left on the table. HMRC must, under its new leadership, begin collecting the correct amount of tax from the very wealthiest – and this must include wealth that is currently squirrelled away in tax havens.
“There is certainly room for improvement. We hope that HMRC uses both our recommendations and the new funding it has secured in this area to do so.”
Funding will help to build a fairer, cleaner future where every family can benefit from cheaper, greener transport
major boost to charging investment to break down barriers to electric vehicle ownership and boost charging infrastructure across the UK, cutting costs for families, businesses and the public sector
£63 million package to support at-home charging for households without driveways, transition NHS fleets to save millions for the health service in England, create thousands of chargepoints at business depots across the UK
builds on £400 million invested in charging infrastructure and recent Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate updates to kickstart economic growth, create thousands of green jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change
Drivers across England are set to benefit as the UK government today (13 July 2025) announces a £63 million investment package to supercharge Britain’s electric vehicle infrastructure, driving down charging costs and putting money back in the pockets of working people as part of the Plan for Change.
A pioneering £25 million scheme for local authorities will expand access to cheaper at-home charging. This will provide access to cheaper household rates, allowing consumers to save up to £1,500 a year compared to running a petrol or diesel car, transforming how thousands of households without driveways power up their electric cars.
The innovative cross-pavement technology will allow cables to run safely beneath pavements, connecting homes directly to parked vehicles, enabling more families to tap into cheaper domestic electricity rates for as little as 2 pence per mile even if they don’t have a driveway.
The fund is the latest move to bolster the UK’s growing charging network which has reached a record 82,000 public chargepoints, with a further 100,000 expected to be installed as a result of the government’s Local EV Infrastructure Fund and £6 billion of private investment committed to 2030.
To ensure the savings the EV transition can bring are felt in the public sector too, the NHS in England is also receiving a major sustainability upgrade with an £8 million fund to power the electrification of ambulances and medical fleets across over 200 NHS sites, saving millions in costs which can be invested into patient care.
‘Standing firmly on the side of British drivers’, this latest investment is part of the government’s plan to support motorists, including a record £1.6 billion invested to tackle potholes and bring down and frozen fuel duty at 5p until Spring 2026, saving the average motorist £50 to £60 over the year.
This investment underpins the government’s Plan for Change mission to kickstart economic growth and make life easier for working people, ensuring the transition to net zero delivers for working families whilst creating good jobs and driving economic growth across all regions of the UK.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We are making it easier and cheaper to own an electric vehicle. We know access to charging is a barrier for people thinking of making the switch, so we are tackling that head on so that everyone – whether or not they have a driveway – can access the benefits of going electric.
“Our investment is about more than just charging points – it’s about charging up Britain’s economy. I’m proud that through this boost, we are helping deliver cheaper bills for families, massive savings for the NHS to reinvest in patient care, and thousands of new green jobs.
“This is what our Plan for Change mission to kickstart Britain’s economy looks like in practice. We’re not just boosting charging infrastructure, we’re building a fairer, cleaner future where every family can benefit from cheaper, greener transport, whilst creating thousands of good jobs across the country.”
In a pioneering move to help EV drivers plug into the rapidly expanding charging network, the UK government is also modernising EV charging signage on major roads.
EV charging hubs have more than doubled since the beginning of 2023 and immediate changes will allow larger EV charging hubs to be signposted from major A-roads for the first time. Government is committed to boosting charging for long journeys, with £400 million announced in the Spending Review to support charging infrastructure, including on the strategic road network.
Alongside the boosts for electric car drivers, the government is also launching a major new grant scheme to help businesses install charging points at depots nationwide, supporting the nation’s heavy goods vehicles, vans and coach drivers in the transition to zero emissions.
With over 1.2 million people employed in the freight and logistics sector in the UK alone, today’s announcement is the latest move to keep industry at the forefront of international competition in the face of global economic headwinds.
Over 1,200 new charging sockets will deliver a more efficient, modern health system whilst generating millions in cost savings over the next two decades for the taxpayer on maintenance and fuel costs – valuable savings that can be prioritised for patient care and help rebuild the NHS.
Owning and buying an EV is becoming increasingly cheaper, with 2 in 5 of used electric cars sold at under £20,000 and 34 brand new electric cars are available from under £30,000.
The UK was also the largest EV market in Europe in 2024 and the third in the world with over 382,000 EVs sold – up a fifth on the previous year. There are now more than 82,000 public chargepoints in the UK – with one added every 30 minutes – ensuring that motorists are always a short drive from a socket.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “This is a win-win: cheaper travel for the NHS and cleaner air for our communities.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re investing in green energy to build an NHS fit for the future — cutting pollution and saving millions in fuel costs.”
Edmund King, AA president, said: “There are more public chargers than people realise, but they are often hidden in plain sight. Increasing signs for the public network is vital to help the EV transition as it will create confidence for drivers both now and in the future.
“It is great to see more support for those without off-street parking so that they can also benefit from the EV revolution.”
Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt said: “We are pleased that the government has taken the crucial step of delivering official EV charging signage on the strategic road network – a move we believe will improve consumer confidence and bolster EV adoption. This marks a major milestone for the EV industry and drivers across the UK.
“At InstaVolt, we have been relentless in our campaigning and have built a strong, collaborative relationship with the government to push this initiative forward. Our opinion research suggests that the rollout of clear, official signage will make a significant difference—helping EV drivers easily locate public charging points while on the move, and reassuring those considering making the switch to electric vehicles.
“For years, we have emphasized that the UK’s public EV infrastructure, so critical to mass adoption, is already largely in place, and now this signage will finally showcase it to drivers in a visible, accessible way.
“As the UK’s largest ultra-rapid public charging network with over 2,000 chargers nationwide, InstaVolt is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation and excited to see how these signs will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.”
Ian Johnston, CEO, Osprey: “Signage impacts all the UK’s drivers because consumers need to see it to believe it. Osprey have tirelessly highlighted the benefit that clear EV road signage would bring to drivers looking to make the switch and to the charging businesses installing the critical infrastructure underpinning transport decarbonisation.
“This is a welcome first step and we look forward to continuing to work closely with ministers and officials to achieve clear signage for the hundreds of high-quality EV charging hubs being opened across the nation.”
NHS Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Gormley said: “The NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that reduce emissions and drive significant cost savings, all while improving patient care.
“This new £8 million investment, across 62 NHS Trusts and around 224 sites, supports the renewed commitment in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to deliver a more sustainable NHS while also helping hospitals to save millions on fuel and maintenance costs and reducing air pollution. These savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care, ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.”
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK said: “With 82,000 public charge points already installed across the UK, this positive action on strategic road signage will help more drivers see the extensive charging network that’s rapidly being built across the country. This has been a priority for our industry and will boost consumer confidence in making the switch to electric vehicles.
“Our members are investing £6 billion to ensure the deployment of charging infrastructure stays ahead of demand. Today’s announcement shows government recognising the vital role charging plays in the transition, and we look forward to working together to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s leading EV market.”
DISABLED PEOPLE WILL LOSE OUT ON THOUSANDS OF POUNDS
The Labour government claims nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as the controversial Bill to overhaul the welfare system completed the next stage of its passage through Parliament last night.
Bill to introduce biggest permanent boost to out-of-work support since 1980 progresses through Parliament.
Legislation will remove perverse disincentives to work that exist in the welfare system while protecting 200,000 of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are not expected to ever be able to work.
Alongside the Bill, disabled people and those with health conditions will have legal protections to try work without fear of reassessment.
Reforms to the welfare system aimed at improving living standards across the country and breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
KEIR Starmer’s Labour government says nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.
For the first time ever, the Universal Credit standard allowance will permanently rise above inflation, amounting to £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over.
This is the highest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980, according to the IFS.
Reforms set out in the Universal Credit Bill will look to rebalance the core payment and health top up in Universal Credit (UC). This will address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency.
The Bill, which will legislate to make these changes, today successfully cleared the House of Commons. It will now be introduced into the House of Lords to continue its passage through Parliament towards Royal Assent.
Alongside these changes, we have published significant new measures, giving people receiving health and disability benefits the right to try work without fear of reassessment.
The new Right to Try Guarantee enshrines this in law for the first time and includes disabled people and people with health conditions – such as those recovering from illness – who want to return to work now their health has improved.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: Our reforms are built on the principle of fairness, fixing a system that for too long has left people trapped in a cycle of dependence.
“We are giving extra support to millions of households across the country, while offering disabled people the chance to work without fear of the repercussions if things don’t work out.
“These reforms will change the lives of people across the country, so they have a real chance for a better future.”
The Labour fovernment says as part of their ‘commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled’, 200,000 in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are unlikely to recover – will not be called for a UC reassessment.
All existing recipients of the UC health element and new customers with 12 months or less to live or who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria will also see their standard allowance combined with their UC health element rise at least in line with inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30. This means they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.
Starmer’s government says they are also ‘putting disabled people at the heart of a ministerial review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment’ led by Disability Minister Stephen Timms and co-produced with disabled people, along with the organisations that represent them, experts, MPs and other stakeholders – making sure it is fair and fit for the future. However this review was only introduced following a substantial revolt by the party’s own backbench MPs on the introduction of the controversial legislation.
The government says they will be engaging widely over the summer to design the process for the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.
They say the reforms are ‘underpinned by a major investment in employment support for sick and disabled people’ – worth £3.8 billion over the Parliament. Funding will be brought forward for tailored employment, health and skills support to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into work as part of our Pathways to Work guarantee.
This ‘investment’ will accelerate the pace of new investments in employment support programmes, building on and learning from successes such as the Connect to Work programme, which are already rolling out to provide disabled people and people with health conditions with one-to-one support at the point when they feel ready to work.
The Labour government says the welfare reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.
CRITICS – INCLUDING 47 LABOUR MPs – SEE THE LEGISLATION AS AN ATTACK ON THE POOREST PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY, HOWEVER …
Parkisnon’s UK SAID: “The government’s decision to cut Universal Credit costs is appalling.We believe that, despite the government’s claims, savings are being made by effectively making people with Parkinson’s ineligible for the higher rate health element.
Helen Barnard, director of policy, research and impact at Trussell, said: “We are deeply concerned about the cuts being made to Universal Credit health payments for disabled and ill people applying in the future.
“The scale of the remaining cuts in this ill-conceived bill will still be devastating and risks pushing more disabled people to food banks.
“Life costs more if you’re disabled. Cutting this part of our social security system will mean 9 in 10 disabled people newly claiming the Universal Credit health element will miss out on around £3,000 worth of support on average by 2029/30. It makes no sense to rip support away from people in the future, just because their health has worsened, they become disabled, or their income drops after an arbitrary date.
“By contrast, the uplift to the basic rate of Universal Credit that this bill will bring in is a very welcome and long overdue step towards ensuring our social security system covers the cost of essentials like food, bills and toiletries. Further clarity on how the government will work with disabled people, MPs and charities is also important.
“We applaud disabled people, MPs and community organisations like food banks for persistently raising their voices and ensuring many disabled people have been protected from deep financial losses during the progress of this bill.
“The UK government must now build on this to deliver a more compassionate, effective and fair social security system that, at the very least, protects disabled people from hunger and hardship.”
Work is underway to move the benefit awards of over 66,000 people to Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.
People getting DLA from the DWP don’t need to do anything as the transfer will happen automatically.
