Disabled people will be able to travel for free by bus all day, every day across the majority of England after Andy Burnham lifted all restrictions.
The government argues the measure will improve access to workplaces and help to ease the cost of living. Current rules limit free travel until after 9.30am in most parts of the country – meaning a free pass cannot be used to commute to work in most instances.
From April, time restrictions on disabled bus pass holders that limit free travel to between 9.30am and 11pm during the weekdays in most parts of the country will be lifted.
How Burnham was duped by Trump chief of staff impersonator
Andy Burnham exchanged messages with a person impersonating Donald Trump’s chief of staff, it has emerged.
The Prime Minister was in contact with an unknown individual pretending to be top White House aide Susie Wiles before concerns were raised about the incident, first reported.
What you need to know
Officials reportedly said Burnham exchanged only a “few messages” with the person claiming to be Wiles “before becoming suspicious that the contact was illegitimate”.
White House told of security breach
The British embassy in Washington was so concerned by the exchange that it raised it with the White House, two officials told .
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on national security matters.”
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Not the first attempt
It is unclear when the messages were sent and what was discussed.
Last year, reported that the FBI were investigating attempts to access Wiles’ phone after an unknown person contacted prominent Republican figures and business chiefs while pretending to be her.
The damage paying student loans into your 50s will cause
Nowadays, repaying your student loan into your 50s is a relative rarity – but that will soon change, with terrible consequences for those who have the loans and the economy as a whole.
Class of 1998 still have debt to pay
New figures this week reveal that 88,057 graduates who took out the first “income contingent” student loans in 1998 – now in their late 40s or early 50s – still owe debt.
Most of these people aren’t repaying the loans because they earn low wages or aren’t working. But that won’t be the case for long.
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Borrowing more than predecessors
In fact, a majority of those who took out student loans since 2012, when tuition fees were trebled in England, are likely to be paying off until their 50s.
This is because, as well as borrowing significantly more than their predecessors to go to university, the terms of the loans were changed so they are wiped later – after 30 rather than 25 years – and accrue larger amounts of interest, often above inflation.
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A domino effect on the economy
Many on high salaries are repaying hundreds a month and still seeing their loans grow due to interest – which has dire consequences for these individuals and the economy.
The first negative consequence is the effect it will have on spending, and the second is the chilling impact we will see on pensions.
Limited consumer spending
A report by Oxford Economics has already pointed out that Plan 2 loans – those given to students from England and Wales between 2012 and 2022 – are leading to more limited consumer spending, weaker business investment and greater aversion to risk.
- Over the next 20 years, having a large student loan will become common across decades of generations.
- If these people are repaying hundreds or thousands towards their loan, there is clearly going to be a big impact on their disposable income.
- But if we want people to boost their pension savings, we need them to have enough disposable income throughout their lives, so they feel they can part with more cash upfront.
Disincentivising workers
The final point is this. Last week, polling by Opinium found that three in 10 people with student loans say they have turned down a promotion, new job or pay rise because of the impact on their repayment plan.
If you’re a higher earner making over £50,270, then with the loan repayments your marginal tax rate is over 50 per cent.
The economic impact of this should not be understated. If we’re disincentivising any of our most productive workers from employment and they’re earning less as a result, this has knock-on effects for our national tax take and growth.
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Child-like sexual abuse dolls could be banned – what we know
Sexual abuse dolls designed to look like children could be banned in England and Wales under a new draft law.
Possession of a child-like sex doll is not an offence in the UK; however, those who import them can be convicted under the Customs Consolidation Act 1876.
What you need to know
Now Liberal Democrat Munira Wilson is seeking to criminalise the possession, sale and manufacture of child-like sex dolls.
Her private member’s Bill, which is set to have its second reading in the House of Commons on 4 September, aims to prevent sexual harm and disrupt behaviour which may indicate a sexual interest in children.
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Offenders would face prison
Under the draft law, police will be able to seize such dolls – which are sold mainly in the image of girls and can come as small as babies. Offenders who are found guilty could face prison time as well as monitoring.
The Bill, which needs Government support to become law, is drafted to include any doll which “resembles a child or any part of a child”, to prevent perpetrators getting around the proposed law, Wilson said.
Ex-school governor jailed
Ex-school governor and church warden David Turner was jailed in 2017 for 16 months after he imported a 3ft child sex doll from China.
When officers from the National Crime Agency searched his home in Ramsgate, Kent, they discovered two more child sex dolls and over 34,000 indecent images of children on his devices.
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Senior child protection figures have warned that these dolls can reinforce sexual fantasies about children and people who cannot consent.
A Home Office spokesperson called the dolls “vile” and said it is “already taking action to stop their distribution”.
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Eurostar rival finally gets go ahead – everything we know
Incoming Eurostar rival Virgin Trains has been granted track access for new services between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in 2030.
It marks a step closer to ending Eurostar’s monopoly. The trainline has operated without competition for nearly 32 years.
Approval lasts for 10 years
- The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has given approval for Sir Richard Branson’s company to run up to 20 daily services through the Channel Tunnel between October 2030 to December 2040.
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Virgin Trains in Eurostar stations
- In October, Virgin Trains was told it could share Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot in east London.
- Temple Mills is the only depot that can be accessed from High Speed 1 – the line that runs between London and the tunnel.
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‘Still more work to do’
This is an important next step in bringing competition and growth to the market for international rail services, and we welcome the progress and London St Pancras High Speed have made. While there is still more work to do, we are supporting and the wider industry to grow international services.
Martin Jones, Deputy director of access and international
What next?
Despite just clearing a major regulatory hurdle, Virgin Trains has yet to secure access to other rail networks.
It must also obtain safety approvals from the ORR and relevant regulators in the EU before services start in 2030.
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The weather to expect for the rest of the summer
While temperatures are expected to drop this week after the UK’s fifth heatwave brought a record 38.1°C – it appears the relief will be only temporary.
Another heatwave is expected to descend on the UK next month, the Met Office has warned, after a month of unprecedented hot and dry conditions.
A September heatwave
The Met Office has predicted that there is a chance of a late-season heatwave developing in September as the UK moves into the meteorological autumn.
The forecaster said there was “a chance that late-season hot spells or heatwaves develop” in the south between 31 August and 14 September.
Northern areas to see ‘more changeable conditions’
The Met Office predicts “drier, more settled weather is slightly more likely towards the south and east. Temperatures are again likely to be near to or above average overall”.
While the south may see more heat, there will likely be “more changeable conditions” in the north and northwest of the country as autumn begins, the Met Office said.
Rain to fall after record dry July
Looking to the weekend, BBC Weather forecasts up to a 58 per cent chance of rain on Sunday, 23 August.
The following week could also see some rain, with BBC Weather predicting showers on Thursday, 28 August and Friday, 29 August – some respite after the driest July on record across England.
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Where does the Gaza peace deal stand?
US envoy Jared Kushner is in the Middle East today for talks with key figures, following a rare meeting with Hamas’s leader yesterday.
Last month, Donald Trump’s Board of Peace said it had reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
Here’s what you need to know.
Israel rejects Gaza peace plan
Hamas deal
Trump said Hamas had agreed to disarm if Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza. Israel rejected the 15-point plan, which calls for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
The Hamas deal breakthrough came nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was signed, with negotiations between Israel and Hamas largely deadlocked since then.
US envoy to meet Netanyahu
Netanyahu rejects plan
The Israeli PM said his military would not withdraw from Gaza, warning there would never be a Palestinian state in Gaza under his leadership.
US envoy in Middle East
Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner is expected to meet Netanyahu today to discuss the US-backed Gaza plan. He met with with Hamas leader Khalil al Hayya yesterday.
What happens next?
Eight Muslim countries issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel’s rejection.
While it’s not yet clear whether Kushner’s talks will be successful, one topic at the heart of discussions will be the disarmament process.
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Bus travel is already free for eligible disabled people at the weekends, but it is up to local authorities to fund an extension of this to peak hours during the week, which charities warn sends a message that disabled people “can’t or shouldn’t work”.
Announcing the plans during his summer cost of living tour, Burnham said it is “simply not right” that many disabled people cannot use their pass at all times, and that the action is intended to “give people some much-needed breathing space on the cost of living”.
No new funding needed, government says
The policy will be backed by £60m funding, made up of a £40m contribution from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as well as £20m from the existing Department for Transport (DfT) budget.
It is understood that no new funding will be required to implement the policy, but it is not clear where the money will come from in existing departmental budgets.
The Prime Minister faced criticism over how previous cost of living policies to cut VAT on energy bills over the winter and to cap bus fares at £2 would be funded.
Former Cabinet minister Darren Jones accused the Government of announcing an “unfunded” VAT cut on energy bills in Burnham’s first week in office, while money for the bus fare cap is being reallocated from the existing Energy Security and Net Zero budget.
It comes as Burnham is travelling across the UK in “listening mode” as he announces a string of changes aimed at tackling rising costs for families.
Recently, this included measures to accelerate a policy introduced under Sir Keir Starmer’s government to make subscriptions easier to cancel and to prevent shops from issuing “rip-off discounts”.
Postcode lottery
Ministers hope the latest plans to give disabled people unlimited free bus travel will address the current “postcode lottery” and remove barriers to accessing the workplace.
“We’re putting an end to this postcode lottery, so disabled people can travel on buses for free whenever they need, wherever they live – unlocking opportunities and access to jobs, learning, and more,” said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
Currently, disabled people in some areas, such as London and Greater Manchester, can travel on buses for free at all times, as local authorities have chosen to fund the extra hours. In contrast, people in other areas are limited to off-peak travel during weekdays.
The move comes as the Government has renewed its focus on youth joblessness, with Labour grandee Alan Milburn due to give his final recommendations on how to help people not in education, employment or training (Neets) this autumn.
In Milburn’s interim report, he noted that cash disability benefits are not always the best way of supporting young people into work, and that more must be done to remove barriers to the workplace.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the new rules show the Government is “serious about breaking down the barriers that have held disabled people back for too long”.
Jon Sparkes, CEO of the learning disability charity Mencap, welcomed the move, calling it a “welcome relief for disabled people struggling with the cost of living as well as the extra costs of being disabled”.
“Most importantly, though, it removes the inference that disabled people can’t or shouldn’t work,” Sparkes added.
James Taylor, executive director of strategy, impact and social change at the disability charity Scope, said making buses free for disabled people will “put money back in people’s pockets and remove barriers to everyday life”.
Who is elegible:
Eligibility for a disabled person’s bus pass is set out in the Transport Act 2000, which defines seven statutory categories of disability.
- unable or virtually unable to walk because of a disability;
- without arms, or unable to use both arms;
- people with a learning disability; and
- people who would be refused a driving licence on medical grounds (other than because of drug or alcohol misuse).