Transforming life chances for children |
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Life chances for disadvantaged children and children with SEND will be transformed as the government sets out plans to rebalance the school system and cut the link between background and success. The government’s landmark schools white paper, Here in the South East, building on the revolutionary impact of the London Challenge in the early 2000s, which helped transform educational outcomes across our capital city, a new Mission Coastal area-based challenge scheme will drive up outcomes for pupils. It will bring together schools and families to deliver improvement. For too long, schools have been treated as islands rather than part of their communities, with a system focused only on what happens when children walk through the school gates. The government’s action to lift the two child benefit cap, put a family hub in every local council and provide 30 hours of early years education are all critical to giving every child the best start in life, ultimately improving life chances for young people and easing pressures on families. |
Energy bills coming down
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Households across Britain will benefit from cheaper energy bills this spring, thanks to actions taken by the government – putting money in working people’s pockets in a major step forward in tackling the cost of living. Ofgem has confirmed the price cap will fall by 7% or £117 from 1 April, driven by the government’s action to remove an average of £150 of costs off bills. This intervention at the Budget – including scrapping the Energy Company Obligation scheme, which was no longer fit for purpose – was only possible due to the choices made to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share, in order to tackle the cost of living for ordinary families. |
Return of regular cross-Channel freight trains |
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British businesses could soon gain direct rail freight links to the continent, as a landmark deal paves the way for the return of regular cross-Channel rail freight. It would also help to reduce congestion on the roads, leading to less pollution, less traffic and fewer potholes, particularly in the south-east at the Dartford Crossing and M20/M2 corridors. Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said, “This deal is a huge opportunity to reinvigorate rail freight by paving the way for the return of regular services through the Channel Tunnel. It will boost British businesses by opening new trade links to Europe by delivering a faster and more sustainable way to transport goods to the continent and back. This is all part of our plan to use our railways to support economic growth and jobs.” |
Crackdown on public sector fraud delivers over £7.5 billion of savings to the taxpayer |
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The savings secured are equivalent to the cost of employing an additional 230,000 nurses or repairing every pothole in the country. Cabinet Office Minister and Southampton Test MP, Satvir Kaur, said: “Every pound stolen by fraudsters is a pound taken away from our schools, our hospitals, and our communities. By using better data and hiring more expert investigators, we are finding and stopping fraud faster than ever before. We are relentless in our commitment to protect the public’s money and ensure it is used to deliver the high-quality services that people across Britain rely on every day.” |
Electrifying NHS fleet to save millions |
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This funding will support the NHS to modernise some of its 20,000 strong fleet of medical vehicles, helping to decarbonise 460 million miles of travel each year. The savings will be reinvested to deliver on the government’s goal of a more efficient, modern healthcare system, building on progress made to date. This includes the delivery of 5 million extra appointments in the last year and bringing waiting lists down by 330,000 since July 2024 – their lowest level in 3 years. |
