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As the headlines focus on Keir Starmer’s fight for his political survival many will have missed the blizzard of policy announcements his Government has made over the past couple of weeks.
It comes as the Prime Minister insists “our plan is working”, pointing out that net migration is down sharply to its lowest since 2021, inflation is down to 2.8%, and the UK was the fastest-growing economy in the G7 in the first quarter of the year.
No 10 is also keen to stress that homicides in England and Wales are at their lowest levels since the 1970s, and knife crime is down by 10% compared with the last year.
NHS waiting lists in England are also at their lowest level for three and a half years, with the “largest single month performance improvement in 17 years” in the latest figures.
That is cited as evidence by No 10 that the PM, and the country, is on the right track. They’ve come alongside a raft of policy measures designed to change the narrative around this Government.
Here are some you may have missed.
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Economy, Tax & Cost of Living
This month the Chancellor announced the ‘Great British Summer Savings‘ scheme: VAT will be cut from 20% to 5% on children’s restaurant menus, children’s cinema/theatre tickets and admission to attractions (theme parks, soft play, zoos, museums) between 25 June–1 September 2026. Its estimated cost of £300m will be funded by closing a tax loophole used by oil and gas firms with overseas operations.
As part of that scheme, free local bus travel is being rolled out for 5–15 year-olds in England throughout August (a £100m fund), on top of the existing £3 bus fare cap, which itself has now been extended to March 2027.
Following campaigning by the Unison union, claimable mileage rates for those who drive for work are being uprated by 10p for 2026-27, backdated to April – the first rise in 15 years. It should give workers an extra £120 for 6,000 business miles.
More controversial among environmentalists is the fuel/motorist support package (set against the Iran conflict): the 5p fuel duty cut has been extended to the year-end, there’s a 12-month road tax holiday for hauliers (up to £912/vehicle), and tax on red diesel is down to its lowest rate in 20+ years.
Tariffs are also set to be suspended on 125 everyday food items (garlic, avocados, mangoes, nectarines, vegetable and olive oil, baked beans, chocolate, sauces, soft drinks), building on another batch of tariff suspensions in April, with a ‘warning’ to retailers to pass savings on.
New anti-profiteering powers will see consumer watchdogs including the CMA gain rapid investigatory powers and the ability to “name and shame” firms raising margins during economic shocks.
We’re also getting a wealth tax, sort of. The consultation on implementing a High Value Council Tax Surcharge (“mansion tax”) has been launched, expected to raise around £500m annually.
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Trade & Business
Ministers have sealed a UK–Gulf Cooperation Council trade deal (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE): potentially worth £3.7bn a year. The UK is the first G7 nation to strike this kind of deal; removing around £580m in duties annually (including £360m from day one).
Announced in the King’s Speech, but welcome for many nonetheless, the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill has been introduced to bring in the “largest crackdown on late payments” in over 25 years.
And the Government has heeded union calls to support the ceramics and chemicals sectors – with £120m for the UK ceramics sector and £350m for chemicals.
Energy & Environment
The Government has given the green light for mega-wind farms Dogger Bank South (up to 3GW capacity) and North Falls (~1GW) – together capable of powering more than four million UK homes.
It brings Labour-approved offshore wind projects to 10.5GW, plus 5.4GW of solar. For offshore wind, each GW of capacity tends to create enough energy to power over a million homes, and for solar over 300,000. Offshore wind reforms have also recently been announced to further speed up delivery.
Ministers are also granting “Critical National Importance” designation for major clean energy projects, reducing their exposure to legal challenges (via judicial-review) to “all but human rights grounds”.
Of course, the biggest energy news is that Ofgem has confirmed a 13% energy price cap rise from 1 July. The gas cap is up 24%, electricity up ~5%, from a £1,641 average base, driven by Middle East gas prices amid Trump’s war on Iran. But the increase would likely have been far higher without Britain’s renewable surge. The link between gas prices and electricity prices is getting weaker all the time, before the Government’s planned reforms to the sector have kicked in.
14 Government Reforms the Media Has Largely Ignored Over Recent Weeks
You probably won’t have read much about these announcements designed to improve people’s lives across the UK
Children, Education & Welfare
This week the childcare market was referred to the Competition and Markets Authority by the Education Secretary, in a bid to get tough on excess charges at nurseries and similar settings.
Meanwhile the plan to implement major children’s social care reforms has launched, with a £2.4bn ‘Families First’ P