Some good things that make our lives better - of course, the press has twisted things to make all this sound like a total disaster.
Even though economy stronger (outperfoming several G7 countries), inflation under better control, interest rates lower...
Economy and Infrastructure
- National Wealth Fund: The government established a £7.3 billion National Wealth Fund designed to unlock over £70 billion in private investment. This fund specifically targets green industries, including ports, gigafactories, and hydrogen production, to future-proof the UK's industrial base.
- GB Energy: Launched as a publicly owned clean energy company, it received £8.3 billion in funding to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. This is intended to lower household bills long-term and increase energy independence.
- Planning Reform: To tackle the housing crisis, the government overhauled national planning rules with a goal of building 1.5 million new homes over the parliament. This includes a "brownfield first" approach to protect the green belt while boosting construction jobs.
- Fiscal Stability: The introduction of the Fiscal Lock Law was designed to prevent significant uncosted spending or tax changes without independent oversight, aiming to provide the market stability that was volatile in previous years.
Workers’ Rights and Living Standards
- Employment Rights Act 2025: This landmark legislation introduced several protections, such as:
- Day-one rights for paternity leave and sick pay.
- Ending exploitative zero-hours contracts by giving workers the right to a contract that reflects their regular hours.
- Banning "fire and rehire" practices.
- Strengthening protections against unfair dismissal (reducing the qualifying period from two years to six months).
- National Minimum Wage Increases: The government pushed for a "genuine living wage," including a significant 16.3% increase for workers aged 18–20 in April 2025 to move toward equalizing pay scales across age groups.
- Pensions Protection: The Triple Lock on the State Pension was maintained, ensuring that pensioner incomes stay in line with inflation or earnings.
Public Services: Health and Education
- NHS Waiting Times: To address the backlog, the government funded an extra 40,000 appointments per week (2 million per year) by incentivizing staff to work evenings and weekends.
- Resolution of Industrial Action: Within months of taking office, the government ended the long-running junior doctor strikes and rail strikes by reaching pay agreements, which significantly reduced service disruptions.
- Primary School Breakfast Clubs: A nationwide rollout of free breakfast clubs for all primary school children began, aimed at improving attendance and helping with the cost of living for parents.
- Teacher Recruitment: A campaign was launched to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers to address shortages in key subjects and improve standards in state schools.
Housing and Communities
- Renters' Rights: The government moved to ban "no-fault" evictions (Section 21), providing more security for millions of private renters.
- Rail Nationalisation: The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act began the process of bringing rail franchises back into public hands as their contracts expire, with several major lines already transitioned by early 2026.
www.bbc.co.uk
