Prime Minister Andy Burnham is right to bring back the £2 bus fare cap. For millions who rely on public transport to get to work, college, hospital appointments or the shops, that saving will be felt every week. It is exactly the kind of practical help a cost-of-living government should deliver.
Energy bill support falls short for poorest
Scrapping VAT on electricity bills is welcome news, but it is far from a perfect fix. An average saving of £45 will help, but the biggest winners will be bigger, better-off homes with more rooms to heat and more gadgets plugged in. Families already rationing their heating, watching every kilowatt, cannot save much on energy they cannot afford to use in the first place. With 7.4 million low-income households unable to pay for essentials, support must be targeted where hardship is greatest.
Mr Burnham has made a promising start and shown he understands the pressure facing ordinary families. But good intentions must now become sustained action. The next steps should give most to those with least, rather than handing the largest rewards to those who need them least.
Fair Care for All campaign
Bed blocking is not simply a statistic. It is an elderly patient losing strength, independence and dignity while waiting for care that should be there. Around 14,000 people a day are trapped in hospitals despite being fit to leave, with delays up nearly 70 per cent in five years. Families have watched loved ones deteriorate, miss rehabilitation, and, in some cases, die in hospital because safe support could not be arranged. This failure costs the NHS £2.7 billion a year and leaves beds unavailable for patients who urgently need them. Mr Burnham enters Downing Street promising action on social care. He must deliver where others have failed. Our Fair Care for All campaign demands a system that protects older people and values carers.
Kevin Keegan tribute
Kevin Keegan wanted only one last return to St James’ Park, to see the supporters who adored him. Cancer cruelly denied him that farewell. Yet the tributes show what King Kev meant far beyond football: warmth, loyalty, humour and humanity. Football’s love for him will never fade.
