UK Labour government

The UK government is set to open new refugee resettlement routes for Afghan women and girls as well as Palestinians, according to a Guardian report. The announcement, attributed to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is being made around the Labour Party Conference in 2026. The move would create dedicated legal pathways for two groups facing acute insecurity, and it is drawing attention amid ongoing debate over Britain's asylum and migration policy.

Defence Secretary John Healey is set to use a UK Labour conference speech to promise a 'new age of industrialisation' for Britain. The pledge is expected to centre on boosting domestic defence manufacturing and industrial investment, and is drawing attention as part of the government's economic messaging at the annual party conference.

Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor widely seen as a potential future Labour leader, has promised to make social care reform the central issue of his next election campaign. He is pressing for a long-term funding settlement for adult social care, an issue that has repeatedly been postponed by successive UK governments despite rising demand and pressure on councils.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, demanding an end to British support for Israel and full sanctions over the war in Gaza. Protesters called on the UK government to stop arms sales and take a harder line as the conference drew party members and media to the city.

Palestine solidarity demonstrators rallied in Liverpool on Saturday, calling on the Labour government to go further in sanctioning Israel over its conduct in Gaza and the wider occupation of Palestinian territories. The protest, reported by the Morning Star, reflects growing pressure on Labour from within its own base, with activists arguing that UK policy has not gone far enough in response to the conflict.