Chris Smyth
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Articles by Chris Smyth
English councils warn of ‘financial catastrophe’ over £10bn special needs deficit
English councils say they will run up a £10bn deficit on spending for special educational needs by 2028, despite the government spending...
AI regulation must mimic Industrial Revolution laws, UK minister says
AI must face the kind of regulation that tamed the “horrifying conditions” of the early Industrial Revolution, a UK government minister...
UK universities withdraw offers from international students to avoid blanket ban
Universities are revoking offers en masse made to international applicants from countries including Nigeria and Pakistan as they fear the...
Five takeaways from official review into mental health and ADHD diagnosis
Diagnosing people with mental health problems or ADHD can hold them back in life, according to a government-commissioned review that...
Tory plan to rip up UK-EU food deal risks ‘huge uncertainty’
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British food producers have criticised the “huge uncertainty” created by Conservative Party proposals to rip up any UK-EU deal to remove...
By George Parker Verified, Chris Smyth Verified, Ashley Armstrong Verified, Madeleine Speed Verified, Andy Bounds Verified
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Financial Times
Verified
Transcript: Zelenskyy says Putin’s gloves are off
This is an audio transcript of the FT News Briefing podcast episode: ‘Zelenskyy says Putin’s gloves are off’ Marc Filippino Good morning...
What can Burnham learn from Scotland’s social care system?
Andy Burnham has pledged to use his political capital to fix Britain’s broken social care system.
Andy Burnham searches for UK alternative to Palantir
Andy Burnham’s government is searching for a UK alternative to Palantir, as the prime minister’s “Buy British” push triggers a hunt to...
National care service may not launch until late 2030s, suggests Burnham
Andy Burnham has suggested he could delay his free national care service well into the 2030s to avoid having to raise taxes to fund it.
Six takeaways from Andy Burnham’s conference speech
Andy Burnham presented a bold vision of what he wants the UK to become in his speech to the Labour Party conference.
John Healey to promise ‘new age of industrialisation’ with £6bn Royal Navy plan
UK chancellor John Healey will claim Britain is about to enter “a new age of industrialisation” as he confirms a £6bn plan to build three...
UK graduates paying 50% more of university costs since 2012
Students will pay 50 per cent more for their education than in 2012 as the government shifts the cost burden from taxpayers on to...
Britain in ‘good position’, Pat McFadden tells business fearful of tax rises
Pat McFadden, work and pensions secretary, has vowed to do his bit to ease pressure on the public finances, telling the FT that the...
Private ADHD clinics are misdiagnosing children, report will say
Private psychiatry companies are routinely misdiagnosing ADHD in children and must face tighter regulation, a government review will...
Keir Starmer looked at softening £100,000 ‘tax trap’ for UK’s higher earners
Sir Keir Starmer’s government looked at softening the £100,000 “tax trap” that can deter higher earners from taking on more hours,...
UK ministers look at overhauling disability assessments to cut welfare bill
Ministers are seeking to stop young people being stuck on benefits for life by overhauling disability assessments to make awards more...
‘Life-changing’ breast cancer drug now available on NHS in England
England’s medicines watchdog has approved a breast cancer drug it rejected two years ago, in the first major decision since the UK...
Salary stand-off delays abolition of NHS quango
Ministers trying to abolish “the world’s biggest quango” may have no choice but to set up an entirely new public body to employ NHS...
End of an era as Thatcher’s favourite council backs 94% tax rise
For Margaret Thatcher, it was the exemplar local authority — “where Wandsworth has led, let other Conservative councils follow” she told...
Burnham resists calls to reform student loans in Budget
Andy Burnham is resisting pleas to reverse Labour’s raid on student loans in next month’s Budget, as discussions instead focus on how to...
Youth unemployment plan will not fix Burnham’s Budget, says Milburn
The head of a government review on getting young people into work has warned it will not produce savings fast enough to avoid painful...
UK universities pledge work experience to more than 1mn students
British universities have pledged to give all undergraduates work experience within a decade, as higher education seeks to address...
Reading scores plummet as ‘digital distraction’ harms students
School students’ reading scores have plunged across the developed world, as widespread access to AI and social media has harmed...
UK ministers to be encouraged to take more legal risks to push through policies
Ministers will be encouraged to take more legal risks to push through Andy Burnham’s priorities as revised guidance tells government...
Concerns raised over ‘tick-box’ staff training as UK employers choose short online courses
Most UK training courses last less than a day as employers switch to online providers, according to a report that raises concerns about...
‘Neets’ numbers dip below 1mn as Andy Burnham prepares fresh push on welfare reform
The number of young people not in education, employment or training in the UK has dipped below 1mn but remains at the second-highest...
Andy Burnham weighs allowing mayors to block ‘right to buy’ for council homes
Andy Burnham is looking at allowing English mayors to suspend Margaret Thatcher’s totemic “right to buy” policy for council homes, as the...
Andy Burnham compromises on council homes plan
Andy Burnham has watered down his most ambitious plans on council house building as he seeks to kick-start the government’s existing...
Andy Burnham launches pandemic-style drive to cut rough sleeping
Andy Burnham has set out a pandemic-style drive to get rough sleepers off the streets of England by Christmas, as he promised to find the...
European education group eyes takeovers of UK universities
Europe’s biggest for-profit higher education group has said it is eyeing financially distressed British universities as takeover targets,...
The one climate issue uniting Greens and Reform in Kent
Since they were reclaimed from the sea in the Middle Ages, the dyke-bound fields of Romney Marsh have been among England’s most...
Transcript: Burnham’s policy bonanza
This is an audio transcript of the Political Fix podcast episode: ‘Burnham’s policy bonanza’ [MUSIC PLAYING] Miranda Green Three things...
Andy Burnham to give English mayors share of income tax from 2028
English mayors will be handed a portion of income tax receipts from 2028 in place of central grants, under Andy Burnham’s push to spread...
Andy Burnham opens door to tax rises to pay for social care overhaul
Andy Burnham has signalled he is willing to raise taxes to pay for a better elderly care system, saying that England’s current set-up is...
Burnham bounce puts Greens and Reform on the back foot
Andy Burnham has given Labour a bounce in polls, leaving Reform UK and the Greens struggling to regain momentum after a series of...
Andy Burnham rejects northern Labour MPs’ call to abolish council tax
Andy Burnham has rejected calls to scrap council tax, defying a group of Labour MPs who argue that the system unfairly charges their...
Chips and drones to be at heart of Andy Burnham’s push to ‘reindustrialise’, AI minister says
Chip building and drones will be at the heart of Andy Burnham’s drive to “reindustrialise” Britain, the minister for AI has said,...
British state school to open overseas branches for the first time
Britain’s first state school to expand overseas says it can become a model for others, arguing there is “great potential” for...
Andy Burnham plans blitz of policy announcements on entering Number 10
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Andy Burnham will next week seek to hit the ground running as UK prime minister with early announcements on the cost of living, North Sea...
By George Parker Verified, Chris Smyth Verified, Jim Pickard Verified, Ashley Armstrong Verified, Jennifer Williams Verified
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Financial Times
Verified
What will Andy Burnham do on immigration?
Andy Burnham has promised an asylum system that is “both compassionate and credible”, as he backed home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s...
Burnham urged to end freeze in salary threshold for student loan repayments
Andy Burnham is facing pressure to find cash for a costly government U-turn over the “unfair and broken” student loan system at his first...
Andy Burnham faces tricky electoral test as Starmer pushes through local government shake-up
Andy Burnham is set to face a tricky first electoral test next May as Sir Keir Starmer’s ministers plan to push through a major local...
Children’s minister calls for ‘moral outrage’ as he vows to end profit-driven care
Britain’s children’s minister has called for “moral outrage” over the plight of young people in unsuitable institutional homes, as he...
Labour MPs jostling for jobs under Andy Burnham discover fresh passion for devolution
Ambitious Labour ministers are displaying a sudden fascination with the idea of devolving power from London to the regions just as Andy...
UK’s culture secretary and department quit X citing concerns over democracy
UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy announced on Thursday that she and her department were quitting X, saying the social media site was not...
Labour can reform welfare without ‘high noon’ showdown, says Pat McFadden
Labour can press ahead with welfare reform without the need for a repeat of last year’s “high noon” showdown with backbench MPs,...
Andy Burnham vows to ‘rewire’ British state
Andy Burnham has promised more state intervention and more regional control as he laid out his political philosophy of “Manchesterism”...
Keir Starmer seeks to shore up legacy in final weeks in power
Sir Keir Starmer spent Thursday afternoon serving popcorn to children at a cinema in Milton Keynes.
Social housing plans cut back as UK delays funding
Housing associations are cutting building plans by a quarter over the next three years because the government has delayed key funding, in...
Transcript: Can anyone challenge Andy Burnham for PM?
This is an audio transcript of the Political Fix podcast episode: ‘Can anyone challenge Andy Burnham for PM?’ [MUSIC PLAYING] Lucy Fisher...
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