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

Labour’s announcements are already in full flow in 2026.

And there was no let-up over Christmas either, with a flurry of announcements rolling out through the holidays and into the new year.

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

1. Banning junk food adverts

Labour has banned television junk food adverts before 9pm, and online completely. Products covered include sugary drinks, confectionery, pizzas, ice creams, and some breakfast cereals.

The move is expected to reduce the number of children who are obese by 20,000, and could deliver around £2 billion in health benefits. At the start of primary school, 22% of children in England are overweight or obese. This rises to 36% by the time they leave.

2. Cutting road deaths

Labour has launched a strategy to cut road deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.

It will consult on:

• Lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, which hasn’t changed since 1967 and is the highest in Europe.
• Introducing a minimum learning period. Young drivers aged 17-24 make up just 6% of licence holders but are involved in 24% of fatal and serious collisions.
• Requiring drivers over 70 to complete mandatory eye tests every three years, with cognitive testing also being explored.

Around four people die on Britain’s roads every day.

3. Knife robberies down 15%

Labour has reduced knife-point robberies by 15% in the worst-affected areas since June last year. That means almost 2,500 fewer people experienced being robbed with a knife.

Separately, the government’s County Lines programme has led to over 8,000 arrests, closed more than 3,000 drug smuggling lines that exploit children, and removed 900 knives from streets. Plus, knife surrender schemes have taken almost 60,000 knives off the streets.

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4. Stopping unsolicited nudes

Labour is forcing dating apps and social media platforms to proactively stop users from seeing unsolicited sexual images.

Cyberflashing became a criminal offence in 2024, but this new priority status puts much tougher requirements on platforms to prevent it happening in the first place. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue or could have their services blocked in the UK.

One in three teenage girls has received unsolicited sexual images, according to the government.

5. Vaccinating children at home

Labour has launched a £2 million pilot to vaccinate children in their homes.

The vaccinations will happen during visits from health visitors, specialist public health nurses who support families with children under five. The programme targets families who aren’t registered with a GP, or might be struggling with travel costs, childcare, or language barriers.

Children have also begun receiving the new MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox in one shot for the first time. The pilot will run for a year before being evaluated for national rollout from 2027.

6. Extending free healthcare for care leavers

Labour has extended free prescriptions, dental care, and eye tests to all care leavers up to age 25. Previously, they had to be under 18 or in full-time education.

GPs will also be alerted when patients are in care, so they can spot concerns early. Care leavers are 70% more likely to die prematurely than others, mainly from mental health-related causes.

In addition, the NHS will offer care leavers guaranteed interviews for roles where they meet the minimum criteria, plus paid internships. This aims to tackle the fact that 40% of care leavers aged 19-21 are not in education, employment, or training.

7. Upgrading 1,000 military homes

Labour completed upgrades to the 1,000 worst military homes ahead of schedule, with families moving into refurbished properties before Christmas.

Homes across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have received new kitchens, bathrooms, boilers, roofs, and flooring. The programme is now being extended to upgrade a further 250 properties over the coming months.

This is the first phase of a £9 billion plan to modernise, refurbish, or rebuild over 40,000 military homes over the next decade. The strategy was enabled by bringing 36,000 homes back into public ownership last year, saving £400,000 a day in rent.

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