UK vacancies fell to an estimated 691,000 in July to September 2026, the first reading below 700,000 since early 2021, according to new ONS figures.
Ministers have accepted a parliamentary recommendation to consult on in-vehicle CCTV as part of proposed national taxi and private hire licensing reforms.
Ministers have confirmed Bradford Interchange as the site of a new railway station under Northern Powerhouse Rail, with delivery planned for the 2030s. Detailed station design remains undecided.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has acknowledged that some future British Army training exercises have been cut amid Ministry of Defence spending pressures, while saying training continues in 2026.
A ministerial direction published on 19 October instructs the Environment Agency to prioritise public water supplies in specified severe drought areas, while retaining environmental safeguards.
Reform UK has dropped behind Scottish Labour at Holyrood after Amanda Bland resigned from the party to sit as an independent MSP.
Downing Street has challenged US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks about NATO allies in Afghanistan, citing the sacrifices made by British and other coalition forces.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has warned firms against bidding for work on Israel’s E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, citing new UK sanctions powers. No sanctions against specific bidders were announced.
Police Scotland is assessing information about election spending paperwork involving nine unsuccessful Reform UK candidates at the May 2026 Holyrood election. Reform UK acknowledges administrative errors; no criminal wrongdoing has been established.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski says he will not overturn the party’s Zionism motion, despite wanting to amend its one-state position. He says party rules prevent a change until 2028.
McGill's Group says it expects to challenge Scottish Government bus-franchising proposals in court after John Swinney pledged greater public control of services by 2031.