Delivering in Government: your weekly round up of good news Labour stories

The drama in Westminster this week has been difficult to escape.

But beneath the noise, the machinery of government trundles on, and there are plenty of good news stories to tell.

Here are the nine most exciting breakthroughs and announcements this week that you can use, whether you’re on the doorstep, sparring on Twitter, or debating in the pub.

1. Stopping AI child abuse images

Labour is introducing new laws to prevent AI from being misused to create child sexual abuse material.

AI developers and child protection organisations will be able to test AI models for safety vulnerabilities before they’re released. This tackles the problem at source, rather than only removing images after they’ve been created and shared online.

Reports of AI-generated child abuse material have increased significantly in the past year, from 199 to 426 cases, with a disturbing rise in images of infants.

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2. Protecting the NHS from cyber attacks

Labour is introducing new laws to defend hospitals, energy, water and transport from cyber criminals and hostile states.

IT companies that work with the NHS and other essential services will have to report cyber attacks within 24 hours and meet tough security standards. Regulators can now force critical suppliers to beef up their protections or face fines based on their turnover.

The Technology Secretary can also step in to order NHS trusts to take immediate action if there’s a threat to national security, such as isolating high-risk systems.

3. Cutting driving test waiting times

Labour is deploying military driving examiners to deliver up to 6,500 additional tests over the next year, targeting test centres with the highest demand.

The government is also cracking down on test reselling. Learners will only be able to rearrange their test twice before having to rebook, and only learners themselves can book tests – not instructors or third parties. This will stop bots and resellers profiting at learners’ expense.

4. Transforming care for girls in custody

Labour is overhauling support for girls in the youth justice system, who are five times more likely than boys to be victims of sexual assault.

Girls will no longer be placed in Young Offender Institutions. Instead, they’ll go to Secure Schools or Secure Children’s Homes that are better suited to their needs.

Staff will receive new training on responding to self-harm and trauma, and £40 million is being invested in foster care and community alternatives to custody.

5. Phasing out animal testing

Labour has laid out its plan to end animal testing.

Tests on animals for skin and eye irritation will end by 2026, and botox strength tests on mice will stop by 2027.

Instead, the government is investing £75 million into new testing methods like organ-on-a-chip systems that mimic human organs using real human cells, and AI that can predict whether medicines will be safe for humans.

6. Support centres for veterans

Labour is rolling out a network of local veterans support centres across the UK, backed by £27 million in funding.

The centres will help 1.8 million veterans access health, housing, employment and welfare support in one place, with the first opening in spring 2026. An additional £12 million will tackle veteran homelessness over three years.

The government will also fund Second World War veterans to travel to overseas commemorative events, and has announced £2 million to repair and conserve war memorials across the country.

7. Cutting NHS bureaucracy

Labour is cutting unnecessary NHS administration to redirect £1 billion a year back into patient care by the end of parliament.

Around 18,000 administrative posts will be abolished as the government merges NHS England back into the Department of Health and cuts the size of regional planning bodies by half. Every £1 billion saved is enough to fund an extra 116,000 hip and knee operations.

The reforms will give local NHS leaders more autonomy and strip away red tape so they can focus on delivering better services for their communities.

8. Tackling youth unemployment

Labour is launching an investigation into why nearly one million young people aren’t in education, employment or training.

Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn will lead the probe, focusing on mental health and disability. Over a quarter of young people out of work now cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier, compared to just 12% in 2013.

Initial findings will be published in the spring, with the final report due next summer.

9. Suspending corrupt councillors

Labour is giving councils the power to suspend councillors and mayors who commit serious misconduct.

Currently, councillors convicted of serious offences can stay in post until they’re sentenced. This year, two councillors remained in their roles despite criminal convictions because there was no power to remove them.

Under the new rules, councils can suspend councillors for up to six months and stop paying their allowances when they break the code of conduct.

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