Blog horizontal

The Government’s housebuilding target is at risk because of a shortage of council planners, according to new research. Unison said its study found that one in 10 council planning jobs in England were vacant, which the union said was slowing decisions. The research revealed widespread shortages across planning roles, leaving councils struggling to process applications and keep pace with the Government’s ambition to build […]

The Bank of England is set to keep interest rates on hold as policymakers face the task of navigating the Middle East energy shock and a slowing economy. Many economists do not think an interest rate hike is on the cards this month despite concerns that the Iran war is putting pressure on UK inflation. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which uses […]

John McGinn's first half strike seals a 1-0 win in Boston Scotland moved top of Group C in their long-awaited return to the World Cup with a nervy 1-0 win over Haiti in Foxborough. In the Scots’ first game on the big stage since 1998, midfielder John McGinn fired them ahead in Boston with a deflected strike after 28 minutes, although Steve Clarke’s side lived dangerously at […]

The latest Government offer will now go to a vote amongst members of the BMA union Resident doctors in England have called off strike action after the Government made a new offer which will be put to members. They were set to stage a four-day walkout from 7am on Monday – the 16th round of strike action since 2023. But the British Medical Association (BMA) […]

Banning social media for under-16s is on its own not “the silver bullet solution”, but should be part of a “basket of measures” to protect children online, the Culture Secretary has said, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s expected announcement of a ban. The Prime Minister will on Monday announce plans to bar children from certain platforms, going further than Australia by including chatbots and imposing a curfew […]

Boxer Tommy Fury has dedicated his boxing victory to his and Molly-Mae Hague’s newborn son, Midas. The former Love Island star, 27, revealed their son’s name, which was spelled out on the back of his shirt and boxing shorts, during his fight against the former world’s strongest man, Eddie Hall, on Saturday night. The pair welcomed their second child, alongside their daughter Bambi, earlier this month with Hague, […]

Scotland’s First Minister has announced new funding to inspire youngsters to “follow their sporting dreams”, with John Swinney promising the cash ahead of Scotland’s return to the World Cup. Mr Swinney has travelled to Boston to watch Steve Clarke’s side take on Haiti in their opening match of the 2026 tournament – the first World Cup the men’s team has qualified for since 1998. He said the World […]

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will begin a two-day visit to Ireland on Saturday. Mr Carney, accompanied by his wife Diana Fox Carney, will carry out a series of engagements in Dublin city and Co Mayo in the west of Ireland. Mr Carney is the grandson of Irish emigrants who were born in Mayo and left the country more than 100 years ago for Canada. Taoiseach Micheál Martin […]

Police are investigating the theft of team equipment ahead of England’s arrival at their Kansas City base, the Football Association has confirmed. Thomas Tuchel’s side land in the Midwest on Saturday afternoon as World Cup preparations go up a notch following a warm weather camp in Florida. Englandarrive in Missouri dealing with an unexpected headache, with boots and balls reported to have been discovered stolen ahead oftrainingat Swope […]

The founder of parkrun has said that a million events was “never in the plan” as the charity is set to reach the milestone this weekend. There were just 13 runners and five volunteers when Paul Sinton-Hewitt organised the first parkrun – then called Bushy Park Time Trial – at Bushy Park in London in October 2004. It has evolved into a global community of […]