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

It was a busy week for Labour. And I wrote this before the Child Poverty Strategy was fully announced! 

As the media unpicked the Budget, there was plenty of tangible progress happening in government departments up and down Whitehall.

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. Saving families money on baby formula

Labour is making it easier for parents to choose cheaper baby formula in shops.

It will issue new guidance to supermarkets, confirming that parents can use gift cards, vouchers, loyalty points, and coupons to buy formula.

The government is also tackling misleading packaging that pushes parents towards expensive brands. A Competition and Markets Authority study found families opted for pricier products, despite all infant formula in the UK meeting the same nutritional standards.

The government estimates these measures will save parents up to £500 a year.

2. Ending HIV transmissions

Labour has launched a £170 million plan to end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.

The scheme will find and support people who are not accessing lifesaving HIV treatment and bring them back into care. Around 5,000 people fall into that category, for reasons including mental health issues, addiction, poverty, or fear of judgement.

The plan also includes opt-out HIV testing in A&E to catch infections earlier, when treatment is most effective.

3. Tents for Gaza

The UK has delivered over 1,100 family tents to Gaza, with more arriving this week.

Each tent can shelter a family of five with a living area and three bedrooms.

With temperatures dropping, and 92% of homes damaged or destroyed, these tents will provide critical shelter for over 12,000 Gazans displaced by the conflict.

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4. Cracking down on pet smuggling

Parliament has passed a law to make it harder to smuggle pets.

The government will be able to ban imports of dogs and cats under six months old, those that have been mutilated like ear cropping, and those that are heavily pregnant.

The law will also limit the maximum number of pets that can be transported in a single vehicle to five. This cracks down on the low-welfare pet trade that crams vehicles with dozens of animals for sale.

5. Boosting legal aid

Labour is investing up to £92 million a year in criminal legal aid solicitors, who haven’t had a proper pay rise in years. Once fully implemented, criminal legal aid solicitors will have received a 24% increase since 2021.

The government is also increasing housing and immigration legal aid fees by £18 million a year – the first major increase since 1996. Legal aid helps people who can’t afford a solicitor to get legal representation, so this means more solicitors will take on cases for people at risk of losing their homes or seeking asylum.

6. Early SEND support

Labour is putting a dedicated SEND practitioner (special educational needs and disabilities) in every Best Start Family Hub from April, providing direct support for families of children with special educational needs.

By 2028, the hubs will offer proven interventions like speech and language sessions for toddlers and specialist parent groups. Research shows that when early help is missing, more children need higher-level SEND support later in childhood.

70% of hubs will be located in the 30% most disadvantaged communities.

7. Devolution funding

Labour is creating a 30-year investment fund for six new mayoral areas.

They’ll share almost £200 million a year, and can spend the money flexibly on local priorities.

The areas are:

• Cheshire and Warrington
• Cumbria
• Greater Essex
• Hampshire and the Solent
• Norfolk and Suffolk
• Sussex and Brighton

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