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Avanti West Coast to be nationalised next year

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend benefits system ‘status quo’ because it ‘writes off’ claimants

Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working‘I can deliver’: Burnham pledges radical ch...

Drumcree standoff shows Northern Ireland’s troubled past still threatens its peace

Governments will be hoping row over the contentious Orange Order march down Garvaghy Road can be defusedLike a ghost from its troubled past, Drumcree has unexpectedly reappeared to remind people how f...

Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja arrested again at pro-Palestine protest: “I don’t recognise the offence”

The musician was detained outside Labour Party Conference in Liverpool after holding a sign reading “I oppose genocide – I support Palestine Action” The post Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja arrested...

Changing UK benefits for young people a ‘moral crusade’, says minister

Pat McFadden urges Labour MPs to back overhauls, amid signs party looking to cut payments for some 16- to 24-year-oldsLabour MPs have a moral responsibility to accept significant changes to the welfar...

Venezuela releases dozens of political prisoners as election calls grow

A slew of dissidents being released from long-term detention comes days after the nation's interim leader met the US president.

Burnham dodges questions on Heathrow third runway as project faces four-year delay

Airport chiefs say 2035 operations deadline unachievable as critics say new delay makes case for project ‘even more dubious’Plans for a third runway at Heathrow are once again up in the air after the...

Social care reform could mean big risks and big rewards for Burnham

The state of the social care system in England is a topic that's made Andy Burnham angry for decades - but will his plans for reform work?

Three in four UK GPs ‘too busy to talk to their patients in depth’

Family doctors’ professional body finds the majority have no time to discuss preventative measures A friendly chat with your GP about your life, health and happiness was once a key part of the UK’s fa...

Houses can be built on floodplains despite failing safety test, says high court

Decision to allow development of 190 new homes in north Somerset sparks campaign for change in the lawHouses can be built on floodplains even if they fail a crucial safety test, according to a high co...

‘Rip the plaster off’: Andy Burnham sets out vision for universal free social care

PM says he will put proposals for NHS-style service funded by everybody into Labour’s next general election manifestoAndy Burnham has said that he is going to “rip the plaster off” to fix the broken s...

Loyalist parade in Northern Ireland given go-ahead as almost 30-year ban overturned

Orange Order march along Garvaghy Road scheduled to take place for first time in 28 years after injunction dismissed on appealA controversial loyalist parade along a nationalist street in the Northern...

‘I can deliver’: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conference

Exclusive: UK prime minister says delivering fiscal stability would be ‘crucial’ to be able to fix bigger problemsAndy Burnham has said he can deliver on his promise of radical change for the country...

Andy Burnham 'prepared' to deliver radical change despite economic challenges – video

The UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, speaks to the Guardian's political editor, Pippa Crerar, about how to change the public's perception of politics after a difficult fiscal period. He says he is pre...

Andy Burnham announces new homes scheme for first-time buyers

Exclusive: Policy initiative for England will help more young people on to property ladder, prime minister tells GuardianA new help-to-buy scheme aimed at giving first-time buyers who cannot rely on t...

Angela Rayner stands by attack on care worker visa reforms ahead of Labour conference

Housing secretary says Home Office moved goalposts with ‘disruptive’ change to permanent residence rulesAngela Rayner has stood by her criticism of Home Office reforms that would make it harder for fo...

Green shoots? Burnham cultivates rural links in attempt to ‘build back trust’ with farmers

Ministers have been speaking to farming activists to try to build bridges after tax changes introduced under Starmer soured relationsAs an arable farmer, Olly Harrison’s WhatsApp messages are normally...

How long can Labour's feel-good factor last?

The party’s spirits have been transformed since Burnham became PM, but what's coming down the tracks, asks Laura Kuenssberg.

Work intensifying on UK laws to stamp out concert ticket touts, say sources

Artists including Tinie Tempah and the Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce ramp up pressure on government to keep its pledge to outlaw for-profit resalesThe government has stepped up work on new laws to stop t...

Rayner criticises visa rule proposals ahead of Labour conference

The housing secretary says the government's plans to change wait times for permanent residency are unfair because they "change the goalposts".