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

It was a busy week for the Labour government.

While Westminster was consumed by the prime minister’s resignation, the announcements kept coming from government departments.

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. Cheaper treats for families

Labour has slashed VAT on children’s activities this summer.

From 25 June to 1 September, VAT drops from 20% to 5% on children’s restaurant meals, cinema and theatre tickets, and attractions like soft play and theme parks. Brands including Butlin’s, Wetherspoons, McDonald’s, and Picturehouse have committed to passing the savings on to customers.

Buses will also be free for children aged five to 15 in England throughout August.

2. New fines for landlords who ignore serious problems

Councils can now fine landlords who leave tenants living with damp and mould.

The £7,000 penalty applies to 21 types of dangerous conditions, including faulty electrics, fire risks, and structural defects. Around one in ten private rented homes has at least one of these problems.

The fines also come with the first update in 20 years to how councils check homes for danger, making it quicker for them to spot a hazard and act before someone gets hurt.

3. Paying businesses to hire young apprentices

Labour will hand small firms a bonus for every new under-25 trainee they take on.

From the autumn, small and medium-sized businesses will get £2,000 for each apprentice under 25 whose training they fund in full. It’s part of a record £3.3 billion apprenticeship investment this year, aimed at delivering 50,000 more apprenticeship starts for young people by 2029.

Alongside this, ministers are cracking down on poor-value university courses and reintroducing targeted maintenance grants for students from low-income households studying priority subjects from 2028.

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4. Hitting £100 billion of clean energy investment

Labour has hit a milestone of clean energy investment since coming into office.

More than £100 billion in private capital has been committed to UK clean energy, spread across offshore wind, solar, and nuclear. Recent contributions include up to £9 billion from Japan into offshore wind and a multibillion-pound nuclear export contract with Sweden for Rolls-Royce SMR.

National Grid also confirmed £1.2 billion in contracts this week to upgrade 1,000 kilometres of transmission lines, helping to get clean power where it’s needed.

5. Banning abusive conversion practices

Labour has published a bill to criminalise attempts to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity.

The draft legislation creates new offences for conversion practices that cause serious harm, alarm, or distress, including for those who encourage or arrange such practices abroad. It also introduces civil Conversion Practice Protection Orders to safeguard people at risk before harm occurs.

The UK first promised a ban back in 2018, and Stonewall has called the bill “historic and long overdue.”

6. Extending Martha’s Rule to maternity wards

Every parent in England can now request an urgent second opinion for a worsening mother or baby.

The right is named after 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died of sepsis in 2021 after her family’s concerns went unheard.

Alongside this, staff who refuse to take part in future maternity investigations, including the ones now underway in Leeds and Sussex, will be compelled to give evidence or face up to two years in prison.

7. Rebuilding Kyiv’s energy grid

Labour has pledged fresh support to help restore Ukraine’s power network.

The package, worth almost £290 million, is targeted at repairing energy infrastructure that’s been repeatedly hit by Russian strikes.

The funding forms part of the UK’s wider commitment to support Ukraine’s recovery and long-term energy security.

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