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

It was a busy week for the Labour government.

While most MPs headed off for conference season, in Whitehall there was plenty of tangible progress towards renewing the country.

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. Another railway enters public ownership

Labour has brought Chiltern Railways under government control.

From 20 September, there’ll be nearly 10,000 extra seats a week on weekdays alone, with 25 additional daily services arriving in December. Chiltern is also adding six new trains to its fleet, finishing a £12 million refurbishment of the rest by 2028.

2. £500 million investment from McLaren

Labour has secured a major new commitment from McLaren to expand car manufacturing in Britain.

The company will invest around £500 million in UK manufacturing, creating 1,000 new jobs by 2032, with up to 3,000 more expected across the wider supply chain. The money brings in-house engine production and a new performance SUV to Britain, alongside expansion at Woking and new sites in South Yorkshire and at Bicester.

3. Tougher school food standards

Labour is overhauling what children are served for lunch in England’s schools.

It’s the first revamp of school food rules in over a decade, meaning more fresh fruit and vegetables, more fibre-rich food, and properly balanced meals designed to help children concentrate and stay energised through the day. Schools will have to publish their menus and food policies online, with a named school food governor accountable for getting it right.

One in three children currently leave primary school overweight or obese, and tooth decay linked to sugary diets remains the leading cause of hospital admissions for 5-to-9-year-olds.

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4. Cracking down on dirty money

Labour is recruiting hundreds of new officers to hunt down money laundering networks.

The 500 new officers across police forces, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service will be backed by £500 million over three years, funded by a levy on the finance industry itself. They’ll target Russian and international networks laundering money through high street businesses, drug trafficking, and people smuggling.

It builds on a strong run of results, including almost £350 million stripped from criminals in the past year, £26 million returned to victims, and nearly 4,000 money laundering convictions.

5. New trains for northern railways

Labour is funding a new battery-electric fleet to replace ageing diesel rolling stock on cross-Pennine routes.

The £1 billion order for 29 trains supports more than 6,000 jobs across the UK supply chain, including over 350 roles in Derby, and is expected to generate around £360 million for the wider economy.

Once in service in the early-to-mid 2030s, the trains will cut journey times by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds, and boost capacity by 30% with thousands of extra daily seats on routes including Liverpool to Scarborough and Manchester to Hull.

6. Passwordless sign-in for government services

Labour is rolling out fingerprint and face verification for accessing government accounts online.

More than 23 million people using GOV.UK One Login can now choose to sign in with their fingerprint, face, or device PIN, which can be up to eight times faster than typing a password and waiting for a text code.

The National Cyber Security Centre rates passkeys as more secure, since they can’t be phished, guessed or reused across different sites.

7. New drop-in centres for teenagers

Labour is opening 42 Young Futures Hubs across England.

They bring together open-access sport, creative activities, and trusted youth workers, alongside mental health support, skills training, and routes into employment, backed by up to £300,000 a year each. They’re for 10-to-18-year-olds, extending to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

It’s a direct reversal of the last decade, when council youth spending fell 73% and over 1,000 youth centres closed.

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