Politics
Westminster and Whitehall: the Government, the Opposition, and the workings of Parliament.
One licence for the whole railway: ministers consult on the permit that will govern Great British Railways
A single licence, issued by the Transport Secretary and enforced by the rail regulator, would replace the separate network and station licences held by Network Rail, with responses due by 21 January 2027.
Inspector finds the France returns pilot worked, but says nobody set out how to judge it
John Tuckett's inspection of Operation Hillmore, the small-boat returns pilot with France, says a linked in-and-out arrangement was established and made to work, while warning that success criteria were never defined and a lessons exercise must happen before staff move on.
Britain and the EU agree new Withdrawal Agreement measures on rights and Northern Ireland
The Joint Committee that oversees the Withdrawal Agreement met in Brussels on Tuesday and adopted three decisions, on social security, AI and forced labour, ahead of a summit on 20 November.
Veterans and service personnel rail discounts are to be protected in law under the Railways Bill
A Government amendment laid on Monday would put the one-third railcard discount for veterans and serving personnel on a statutory footing for the first time, alongside the protections that already cover young, elderly and disabled passengers.
Titania is in orbit: Britain's second military satellite joins the ISTARI constellation as ground sensor trials begin
The British-built satellite, launched last month and operated by UK Space Command, is intended to improve observation of military activity on Earth, while Project Inaros trials ground sensors in the UK, Australia and Cyprus to watch for threats to satellites.
Eight regional water councils to give English communities a say over billions in water investment
Local leaders, customers and businesses are to set regional priorities for sewage, flooding, drought and future supplies under the new councils, while mayors gain stronger powers under the Water Bill to call water companies to account.
Parliament faces managed decline or worse without a restoration decision, MPs warn
The Public Accounts Committee puts the cost of each further year of delay at up to £420 million, and expects weekly spending on maintaining the Palace of Westminster to climb from £1.5 million to £2 million.
Supreme Court rules that ScottishPower's £28 million of redress payments cannot be deducted for tax
Five justices allowed HMRC's appeal over payments made to consumers and consumer organisations under four settlements with the energy regulator between 2013 and 2016, restoring the Upper Tribunal's decision.
Share the carriage, not the noise: £100 bus fines and a national campaign against loudcasting on trains
A national rail campaign will tell passengers to use headphones, with removal from the train or fines of up to £1,000 for those who refuse to stop. New guidance also supports fixed penalties of up to £100 for loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour on buses in England.
Kingman named first chair of Great British Railways as Derby headquarters plan advances
Sir John Kingman starts immediately, shaping the new publicly owned railway while the Railways Bill continues through Parliament. The Government says the headquarters site at Becketwell in Derby will bring hundreds of jobs and an estimated £151 million boost to the regional economy.
MPs to debate petition calling on Britain to apply to rejoin the EU
A Westminster Hall debate at 4.30pm on Monday will consider an e-petition signed by 111,687 people that asks the Government to seek EU membership again, a decade after the Brexit vote.
Burnham uses Berlin visit to prepare ground for November EU summit
The Prime Minister ratified the Kensington Treaty with Friedrich Merz, launched a joint security partnership and said Britain was open to Germany joining the GCAP fighter programme, days after telling Labour conference Brexit had done “more harm than good”.
Labour hits two-year poll high as Opinium puts Burnham’s party on 30 per cent
The first voting-intention survey since the Prime Minister’s debut conference speech puts Labour five points clear of Reform, with Burnham the only leader in positive approval territory and voters backing his care service and EU rethink.
France pulls the plug on the ‘one in, one out’ migration deal
Paris says it is negotiating its exit from the pilot returns agreement, which lapses on 1 October, despite Burnham’s personal plea to Emmanuel Macron to keep it going.
HMS Portland fires new ship-busting missile in Atlantic Thunder climax
The Type 23 frigate’s operational Naval Strike Missile firing, a Sea Venom launch from a Wildcat helicopter and a torpedo strike from a submarine sank the former USS Klakring off Scotland.