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

When Oasis announced their reunion tour last year, bad actors were quick to take advantage. They hoovered up tickets, forcing some fans to pay thousands of pounds for seats originally priced under £200.

Labour promised to act. This week, they announced an upcoming law to ban inflated resale prices.

And there’s plenty more to celebrate. Here are the seven 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. Banning ticket touting

Labour is making it illegal to resell tickets to concerts, theatre, comedy, sport and other live events above their original cost.

Right now, ticket touts rip off fans by buying tickets in bulk and re-listing them at much higher prices. The government will also cap the service fees that resale platforms can charge.

The plans could cut the average price of a resale ticket by £37.

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2. Expanding free breakfast clubs

Labour is opening free breakfast clubs to 500 more schools, helping half a million more children from April.

Parents will save up to £450 per year and get back up to 95 hours of time over two and a half working weeks each year. The government is investing £80 million, targeting schools where 40% of pupils are on free school meals.

Schools will receive increased per-child funding of £1 and a guaranteed £25 a day to cover staffing, with the total funding package increased by 28% for an average school.

3. Cutting school energy bills

Labour has signed agreements with over 250 schools across England to install solar panels through Great British Energy.

23 schools have already installed the panels and are cutting their energy bills, from Plymouth to Manchester. The savings are being reinvested directly into textbooks, teaching, and resources.

The £100 million scheme targets schools in areas of deprivation, particularly in the North East, West Midlands and North West.

4. Simpler travel to airports

Labour is rolling out tap-in, tap-out technology to 50 stations across south-east England, including Stansted and Southend airports.

From 14 December, passengers can use contactless cards instead of buying tickets in advance. Like the Tube, the system automatically charges the best value fare.

The £18.7 million upgrade means 6.7 million people travelling through Stansted each year no longer need to worry about booking ahead.

5. Building homes near train stations

Labour is giving housebuilding near train stations a default ‘yes’ to speed up construction of well-connected homes.

Thousands more working families will be able to live near transport links, opening the door to new job and education opportunities. The rules will apply across all councils in England, including on Green Belt land.

The Housing Secretary can now step in when councils intend to reject developments of 150 homes or more, ensuring good housing projects don’t get blocked.

6. Banning plastic wet wipes

Labour has banned the sale of plastic wet wipes to protect rivers and seas.

Wet wipes cause 94% of sewer blockages, costing water companies £200 million a year to fix – costs that are passed onto households. When flushed, they break down into microplastics that poison wildlife.

The ban follows overwhelming public support, with 95% of consultation respondents backing the proposals.

7. England’s first Men’s Health Strategy

Labour has launched England’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy to tackle mental and physical health challenges.

The government is investing £3.6 million in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men in communities where they’re most at risk. Three-quarters of all suicides are men.

Labour is also partnering with the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative to break down stigma and reach men through football clubs.

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