The options are unattractive but a massively expanded warm homes scheme gets the vote hereIt’s choose your poison time for a government that must know allowing low-income households to suffer the full blast of the scheduled rise in energy bills in Apri…
The Guardian view on levelling up: a flagship policy adrift and becalmed | Editorial
More mayors and a shake-up of local government will not be enough to rebalance the economy and heal the north-south divideTwo years after Boris Johnson made “levelling up” the lodestar of his new administration, the public still struggles to understand…
Johnson reluctantly took the call. Why did everyone expect answers from the PM? | John Crace
Steve Barclay didn’t want to crash and burn like Raab, so maybe he could be told the line to take todayBoris Johnson: (picking up phone) Who’s that?Steve Barclay: It’s me. Steve.A Farewell to Calm by John Crace (Guardian Faber, £9.99). To support the G…
A dangerous lie is stalking the NHS: that it is no longer fit for purpose | Sonia Sodha
Painting the health service as inefficient ignores a decade of chronic underfundingEach time I’ve gone for a Covid jab, I’ve walked out with a warm glow. It wasn’t just relief to have the protection, or awe at the scientific feats that were pulled off …
Markets think Omicron plan B will delay rise in UK interest rates
Fears of economic slowdown mean Bank of England less likely to intervene to dampen inflationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNew restrictions to limit the spread of the Omicron variant will delay an interest rate increase fro…
Sunak’s Kickstart scheme not delivering value for money, NAO finds
A report has highlighted concerns that youth unemployment policies are either insufficient or flawedChancellor Rishi Sunak’s flagship £2bn pandemic jobs scheme to get young people into work may not be delivering value for money, the spending watchdog h…
The Guardian view on Boris Johnson’s Britain: cry, the corrupt country
The prime minister’s denials are both a thoughtless exaggeration and a wholly inadequate response to recent scandalsBoris Johnson headed back to the Cop26 conference this week, doubtless hoping that his trip might divert attention from the sleaze alleg…
Rishi Sunak to announce £500m package for families
Labour describes plan as ‘smokescreen for the Conservatives’ failure to deliver’ in the pastHundreds of thousands of families are to receive extra support as part of a £500m package from the government that will include the creation of a network of “fa…
Ignore the buzzwords, the Tories will inflict yet more damage on local services | Frances Ryan
Rishi Sunak will talk about ‘levelling up’, but desperate communities should prepare for more funding cutsWhen Rishi Sunak stands in front of the Commons for the spending review next week, the chancellor will no doubt serve up “build back better” buzzw…
Why September’s dip in UK inflation may be a false dawn
Analysis: Covid support schemes have distorted official data and experts fear inflation will resume its ascentUK inflation falls despite supply crisis and rising petrol pricesCoronavirus – latest updatesJust when everyone was preparing for a stratosphe…