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

It was a busy week for the Labour government.

While attention turned to the Makerfield by-election, individual departments were hard at work on issues from housing to child protection.

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

1. Free buses for children this summer

Labour is launching free bus travel for every child aged 5 to 15 across England throughout August.

No registration is required, and journeys are unlimited on participating local routes.

It’s part of a scheme to support families and businesses this summer amid price pressures from the Iran war, and includes:

• A tax cut for hauliers to keep shelves stocked.
• Extending the 5p fuel duty freeze to protect motorists.
• Emergency relief for families in rural communities who use heating oil.
  

2. Most homes built since 2020

Homes England has delivered its highest number of housing completions in six years, with more than 40,200 homes finished in 2025/26.

That’s up 9% on the previous year. Construction starts rose 11%, and the agency unlocked land for a further 61,700 homes, exceeding its government target by 15%.

The agency also launched the £27.2 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme this year, covering 2026 to 2036, to accelerate delivery of homes for social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership.

3. Record funding to pursue grooming gang offenders

Labour has committed a record £100 million to reopen closed cases, pursue offenders, and support survivors.

The biggest share, £38 million, goes to Operation Beaconport, the National Crime Agency operation dedicated to tracking down grooming gang members and putting them behind bars. That’s a tenfold increase on the operation’s original funding.

A further £3.2 million will help adult survivors rebuild their lives through dedicated support services.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

4. First branded Great British Railways train unveiled

The first Great British Railways-branded train has arrived on Britain’s rail network, as the country’s biggest operator prepares to join the publicly owned network.

From 31 May, Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern, and Gatwick Express services will transfer to public ownership, bringing the total to over 11,000 publicly owned services running each weekday.

Publicly owned operators are already outperforming private ones on punctuality and cancellations.

5. Knife robberies down by a fifth

New Home Office data shows knife robberies in the seven highest-risk areas of England and Wales have fallen by 21% since June 2024.

Every police force in the group recorded sustained reductions. The biggest falls were in West Midlands and British Transport Police, both down 39%.

This reverses a period when knife robberies were rising. The turnaround follows focused national leadership and close joint working between the Home Office and policing.

6. New mental health strategy

Labour is launching a once-in-a-generation cross-government mental health strategy to shift care from crisis response to prevention.

The strategy will support people to get help earlier and faster, and stay active in work, education, and family life. A call for evidence opened this week during Mental Health Awareness Week, with clinicians, frontline workers, and mental health organisations invited to shape the final approach.

The government has already recruited 8,500 extra mental health workers, three years ahead of schedule.

7. Guaranteeing pothole repairs

Labour is introducing a Neighbourhood Guarantee giving every community in England a legal expectation of basic public services for the first time.

Councils will be held to minimum standards on pothole repairs, street cleaning, and other local services people rely on. Local leaders will work with central government to meet those standards, with communities given a clear basis to demand action when they aren’t met.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits… 
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].