Tax cut on household electricity bills |
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New Prime Minister Andy Burnham convened his cabinet for the first time this week, and committed to give people some breathing space by tackling the cost of living. One of these first announcements takes immediate action to cut taxes on electricity bills for millions of households this winter. VAT will be removed from domestic electricity bills from October 1 in time to impact the next Ofgem price cap. This immediate action applies and is funded for this financial year. |
£2 bus fare cap |
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Buses are a lifeline for communities, providing essential routes into work, training and education as well as childcare, health care and leisure. The last £2 fare cap saw an estimated 30 million more journeys taken by bus in just 10 months. |
Business rates slashed for pubs, clubs and live music venues |
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For too long, the pubs, social clubs, and live music venues that form the backbone of local high streets have been replaced by boarded up windows and for sale signs. This week’s announcement forms part of the Government’s wider plan to drive good growth in every postcode by reducing the burden on local businesses, boosting investment on high streets and helping communities to thrive. New business rate cuts will benefit nearly 32,000 pubs, clubs and live music venues, saving the typical pub an estimated £1,100 in the next financial year, providing much-needed certainty for businesses looking to invest, grow and create jobs. |
Ending rough sleeping |
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The Prime Minister used his first speech in office to launch an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping at the earliest opportunity, setting out a bold ambition to tackle one of the starkest injustices in the country. This will be backed from day one by an additional £340 million – taking overall funding to record levels. |
Urgent support for mothers and babies |
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Families across Berkshire will have their maternity services improved as £4.5 million of dedicated funding is rolled out across the region. Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper spoke about the challenges raised by the Amos review at a visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital maternity department on 22 July 2026. She said, “It was a privilege to be at the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s maternity department today, to meet staff and patients and talk about their experiences. It’s vital that we’re there for people and they can rely on us, particularly at the beginning of a newborn’s life. A lot of good work has been done but there is so much more to do. |