Almost 100,000 homes in Sussex face having their taps turned off this winter if the region does not see heavy rainfall in the coming months.
South East Water (SEW) has warned the Government that there is a “realistic threat of a serious deficiency in supply” in an area that includes the major towns of Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead.
The firm has submitted an application for a drought permit to allow it to conserve water in Ardingly Reservoir, which has fallen close to critical levels due to the exceptionally dry weather and successive heatwaves this summer.
The hefty cost of Burnham’s slick social media campaign
Andy Burnham is spending up to £1m a year on expanding No 10’s social media operation, The i Paper can reveal, as the Prime Minister tries to connect with audiences on TikTok and Instagram.
Here’s where that money is going.
Where do the figures come from?
The Cabinet Office advertised 13 roles in July
Lowest salary – £37,922
Social videographer.
Highest salary – £80,342
Head of social and creative production.
Total cost – £1.04m
if everyone is paid the highest band offered, including pensions and national insurance.
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Where is the money going?
What do colleagues think?
Burnham’s dedication to promoting the Government’s work on social media has been celebrated by Labour colleagues, after his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, was criticised for a lack of communication skills while prime minister.
One such Labour MP told The i Paper: “Burnham’s just got that touch when it comes to communication. … We’re getting way more cut-through already.”
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Burnham vs Starmer
- In his first 90 days on TikTok, Starmer received 59.3 million views to Burnham’s 78.1 million.
- Burnham has hit 752,000 Instagram followers since taking office, with his predecessor peaking at 852,000 after two years.
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France artwork heist – multiple pieces stolen from Renoir Museum
Two thieves tried to steal four artworks from a museum dedicated to the impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in southern France on Tuesday, dropping two paintings as they fled the scene.
What we know
Two thieves carried out the raid at the museum in , near Nice, on Tuesday morning, officials have said.
- Wire fencing was cut for access, and museum alarms went off at 5:48am local time, according to the local mayor.
- However, the pair .
Cagnes-sur-Mer’s mayor, Bryan Masson, described the perpetrators as”well equipped” and “well informed” when speaking to the media on Tuesday.
In comments translated from French, he said the thieves “were wearing helmets, gloves, and combat gear” and carried “an electric knife and hacksaw” to cut the fence and gain access to the garden.
Video footage then showed the group cutting through structures holding the paintings’ frames in place before they began their escape, Masson said.
The stolen works
The four works initially targeted in the heist – Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895), Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910), Coco Lisant (1905) and Jeune fille au puits (1886) – were valued together at over £7.7m, according to reports from France.
According to an update from the local mayor’s office later on Tuesday morning, the two pieces the thieves made it out with were: (left above) and Jeune femme au puits (next slide).
Also missing: Jeune fille au puits
- Prior to the robbery, the Renoir Museum was home to 12 paintings by the artist, who died in 1919.
- The museum was opened in 1960, in Renoir’s last home before his death.
- This heist comes less than a year after eight items valued at about £76m were stolen in a daylight robbery from the Louvre in Paris.
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Watch more from The i Paper
How the King’s pointed letter ‘surprised’ Harry and Meghan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “surprised” by the release of a letter on behalf of King Charles, which clarified their status as “akin to private citizens”, a spokesperson for the couple has said.
Here’s what we know.
No titles, little warning
- A top Buckingham Palace official sent the letter to military officials and Government departments on Monday.
- It stated that as non-working royals, the Sussexes will not use the titles of “His and Her Royal Highness”.
- The couple “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance,” their spokesperson said.
- Their team was still seeking guidance when it was released, The i Paper understands.
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No chance for clarification
The Sussexes did not have enough time to clarify any points before the guidance was issued to the media, it is understood.
- The letter’s contents were reportedly shared with their team at 1:59pm.
- Team Sussex replied to Buckingham Palace at 2:19pm, seeking clarification on one or two points.
- The letter was revealed to the media at 3:06pm on Monday.
- Harry was in a meeting and could not be contacted until 3:09pm.
- Team Sussex received confirmation at 3:11pm that the letter had been sent to the media.
Why are the titles important?
The reference to the HRH title was seen as an attempt to slap the Sussexes down amid concerns that the couple may want to monetise their royal status, including via Meghan’s lifestyle products brand, As Ever.
The title was seen in a video Meghan posted accompanying a podcast last year.
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Harry, a ‘private citizen’?
- The letter clarified that “in short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”.
- But a friend of the couple previously told The i Paper that Harry, as the King’s son, could never be an entirely private citizen.
- “Some people will say, ‘But they’re private citizens.’ Nonsense. Utter nonsense. They are two of the most high-profile people in the world,” the friend added.
Not a quiet word in your ear, not a private memo; no, this was a formal, blunt statement of fact sent to Harry on his father’s orders. Ouch! There is to be no doubt: the King is not going to be bounced into accepting any change in the Sussexes’ status just because they have chosen to return to the UK.
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No ‘half in, half out’ option
Charles and Prince William are said to be worried that family members doing business deals alongside official duties for the state opens themselves up to the sort of abuse of position accusations facing the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
- This led to them clarifying that Harry and Meghan won’t be attending state functions or official engagements.
Who will fund the Sussexes’ security?
The couple returned to the country for what they called an extended period on 26 August, after quitting royal duties in 2020. Their children have reportedly been enrolled in English schools.
The row over who will pay for their security is ongoing, with the couple currently paying for it but lobbying the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) – which is set to meet this week – for taxpayer-funded police protection.
Watch more from The i Paper
New first-time buyer ISA on the way – here’s what we know
Andy Burnham’s Government is looking at a “new and improved product” to replace the existing Lifetime ISA (LISA), for savers who want to get on the property ladder.
What is a LISA?
- A LISA is an account that allows you to save £4,000 per year tax-free.
- The government tops up the account by 25 per cent a year.
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No upper age limit or penalties
The current LISA only allows savers to withdraw their money when they reach 60 or when buying their first home. You can only open an account before you are 40 and must stop paying in at 50. These restrictions would be abolished under Labour’s plans, with no withdrawal penalties for using the money for alternative means.
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When will it be available?
Consultations on a new LISA closed last month, with Burnham’s team confirming interest in launching the accounts. It could come as soon as the Budget on 28 October.
- Any changes to savings limit, the top-up amount and the price cap on properties you can spend your savings LISA on (currently at £450,000) are yet to be confirmed.
Watch more from The i Paper
UK politics
State pension triple lock could be axed – how to replace it
Andy Burnham is facing growing pressure to scrap the triple lock on state pensions to help repair the nations’ finances.
Here’s how the Government could navigate any journey away from the policy – and what could replace it.
Why might the triple lock be axed?
The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has, for the first time, called on Chancellor John Healey to abandon the policy, under which the state pension rises by whichever is highest of inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent each year.
The BCC argued that replacing it with an inflation-matched raise (a single lock) could save £3.3bn in two years. Currently, the triple lock costs £146bn a year.
Other options to replace triple lock
Smoothed earnings link
Mostly following wage growth but rising with inflation if there’s a temporary price shock.
Double lock
Removing the 2.5 per cent guarantee, rising with the higher of inflation or wages.
People build up credits through work and activities, and retirement age is determined by individual health.
Why is it controversial?
The Labour Party committed to keeping the triple lock in its 2024 manifesto. Going back on this would likely alienate older voters, who are generally more likely to go to the polls in an election than younger generations.
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‘The triple lock has got to go’
There is no longer a financial or moral justification for keeping the triple lock, but scrapping it represents a political risk that no prime minister has felt like taking.
It was only introduced to rebuild the value of the state pension after decades in which it had fallen relative to earnings – not necessarily as a permanent settlement.
The inescapable fact is that most of us are living longer and collecting pensions for longer. Someone has to pay for that, and the bill goes to people of working age.
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The films men ‘secretly enjoy’ watching with their partner
More than a quarter of men enjoy watching romance films with their partner but view it as a “guilty pleasure” they wouldn’t tell anyone about, a new survey shows.
Here are their top choices for movie night.
What films do male partners like?
Though they would not admit to it,
26%
of male partners surveyed said they “secretly enjoy” watching romance films.
Netflix commissioned a poll of more than 2,000 Brits in relationships.
50%
of men see this as a guilty pleasure and would never tell their friends.
Nine in 10 couples said watching these films brings them closer as a couple.
Top ranked films by men
- 1 – 31%
- 2 – 26%
- 3 – 25%
- 4 – 25%
- 5 – 24%
Without this, about 95,000 homes could require “rota cuts and standpipes” if the region does not experience significant rain in the coming months, South East Water warned the Environment Agency.
If granted, there would be a temporary relaxation of the environmental rules that dictate SEW release water from the reservoir to maintain levels in the River Ouse.
Worst drought since 1976
An analysis of 155 years of rainfall data by SEW found 2026 was the second driest summer in the River Ouse catchment, surpassed only by 1976.
The summer of 1976 saw widespread water shortages and restrictions across England, including the use of standpipes in some areas.
Britain has not experienced such severe restrictions since that year. However, the latest documents from SEW show some areas are now coming close.
Much of England and all of Wales are currently in drought. While most areas have experienced unsettled weather in recent weeks, far more rainfall is needed to reverse the impacts of the dry summer.
SEW has said Ardingly Reservoir could enter “red level” drought status within the coming weeks even if Sussex receives its average level of rainfall. As of Friday the reservoir was at 34.8 per cent total capacity.
“Red” is the final level before emergency measures such as standpipes are introduced. It means water companies must take all other action possible to avoid this scenario, such as further restrictions on businesses.
If the region receives less than 60 per cent of its average rainfall over the coming months, Ardingly will remain at red level for the rest of this year, and could enter an “emergency storage” situation by the end of September, South East Water said.
In a “worst case scenario” of the region receiving less than 40 per cent of its average rainfall, the reservoir will remain at red level into spring next year and would also enter an ‘emergency storage’ situation around the end of this month, SEW said.
The affected area of Sussex has received 43 per cent of its average rainfall since March this year, meaning this “worst case scenario” would be a continuation of what has seen seen.
Fish deaths and ‘sewage fungus’
It is now up to the Environment Agency to determine whether South East Water should be granted permission to reduce releases from the reservoir into the Ouse.
The company acknowledges doing so will trigger environmental impacts on the river including fish deaths and “increased growth of algae and sewage fungus”.
However, it argues that doing nothing would also have an adverse impact on the Ouse and that conserving water in the reservoir is the best option for customers and the environment.
Water firms ‘not doing enough to fix leaks’
Water companies have been criticised for not doing enough to make their regions resilient to drought, for example by fixing leaks or building more reservoirs.
In its drought permit application, SEW states that its leakage levels are currently 15.5 per cent above target and have become worse this summer as dry soil has caused more burst pipes.
Towns across Sussex and Kent have experienced multiple water cuts in recent years due to failures in SEW’s network.
A damning report by MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, published in April, described the company’s previous leadership team and board as a “unaccountable clique”.
A spokesperson for South East Water said: “We applied to the Environment Agency for a drought permit to help manage the water resource situation in Sussex.
“The permit was applied for as we experienced less than half of the expected rainfall between March and August 2026 in our Sussex region, which is where we have two surface water storage reservoirs. This has resulted in the water levels in both reservoirs falling to a low level, particularly Ardingly Reservoir.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “The drought permitting process balances the needs of local water users with important environmental protections.
“We expect water companies to follow drought plans and apply for permits in good time to secure supplies for their customers and ensure that appropriate mitigations are in place to protect the environment.”