Maria Caulfield, the former Conservative health minister and ex-MP for Lewes in East Sussex, has defected to Reform UK. She lost her Lewes seat at last year’s general election and has since left Parliament, with the move coming a day after a sitting Tory MP joined Reform. Caulfield had previously returned to nursing after leaving Parliament and switched her allegiance to Reform UK about a month ago, according to the […]

The NHS is conducting "war game" exercises to test its readiness for winter, NHS England has said. Winter typically brings a rise in Covid, flu and other respiratory illnesses. Recent winters have seen long A&E waits, corridor care and ambulances queueing outside hospitals. Officials say 2025 is on track to be the busiest on record for A&Es and ambulance services. Preparations are being stepped up through September, with local leaders […]

A report by the Scottish Affairs Committee urges that funding for The Thistle in Glasgow should not come at the expense of other harm‑reduction efforts. It calls for the three‑year pilot to be evaluated by independent experts before the UK Government decides on its future. Opened in January, The Thistle provides a supervised space for people to take illegal substances such as heroin and cocaine in a hygienic setting, with […]

Britain's rail security slogan See it. Say it. Sorted. is being refreshed for the first time since its 2016 introduction. From Tuesday, passengers will hear updated announcements and see new posters, the Department for Transport said. A range of new audible messages has been created to add variety in response to public feedback, and there will be greater emphasis on the 61016 texting number for reporting concerns to the British […]

The coffin of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was received at Westminster Cathedral during a solemn ceremony on the eve of her funeral. Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief, carried the coffin from the royal hearse into the cathedral. Katharine died peacefully at home on 4 September, aged 92. A devout Roman Catholic, she became the first royal to convert to Catholicism in more […]

Aristocrat Constance Marten, 38, and her partner Mark Gordon, 51, have been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria, while they were on the run. They were found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing the birth and perverting the course of justice following two trials. Victoria died from hypothermia on the South Downs in January 2023. They fled authorities to prevent Victoria […]

Students heading to university are being warned about scams targeting young adults as they gain financial independence. Lloyds Bank says this is a period when fraudsters may try to catch people off guard. Lloyds fraud prevention director Liz Ziegler urged students to trust their instincts and walk away from deals that feel dodgy or ask for cash up front. Data from Lloyds shows that 18 to 24-year-olds lose around £400 […]

Former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon, a prominent left‑wing voice, said it was inevitable Keir Starmer would be ousted if May 2026 elections in Scotland, Wales and large parts of England perform badly. He warned that if results align with the polls, the Prime Minister could lose his job. The remarks come as Labour trails Reform UK in national surveys and amid the fallout from the sacking of Lord Mandelson, ongoing […]

The head of the General Medical Council has warned that harm to mothers and babies risks becoming normalised because of a toxic culture of cover-up within the NHS. GMC chief executive Charles Massey will address delegates at the Health Service Journal patient safety congress in Manchester, saying that something must have gone badly wrong when trainee doctors fear speaking up. He will describe a tribal culture in which staff are […]