5 February In a move seen as marking her return to political life, former Prime Minister Liz Truss writes an article for The Sunday Telegraph in which she says her economic agenda was never given a "realistic chance". 7 February Prime Minister Sunak performs a cabinet reshuffle. Greg Hands is named as the new Conservative Party chairman; Grant Shapps becomes the Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero in a newly formed department; Kemi Badenoch is appointed as the first Secretary of State at the newly created Department for Business and Trade, with continued responsibility as equalities minister. 8 February Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a joint session of Parliament during his first visit to the UK since Russia invaded his country. He later visits Buckingham Palace for a meeting with the King. Former Labour MP Jared O'Mara, who submitted fake expense claims to fund his cocaine habit, is convicted of fraud.He is sentenced the following

  1 January –  The Baroness Stedman-Scott  steps down from the post of  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions . 5 January – The UK government confirms it will not go ahead with a plan to privatise  Channel 4 . 9 January – A new scheme to support businesses with the cost of energy bills is outlined in the  House of Commons  to replace  existing support  due to end in March. The scheme will replace capped energy bills with a wholesale discount on gas and electricity, and only apply when energy bills are high. Industries such as glass, ceramics and steel, which use a greater amount of energy, will get a larger discount than others. 10 January – The UK government published the  Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill 2023 , designed to require public sector organisations to provide a minimum service when their unions vote to strike. 11 January –  Andrew Bridgen , the MP for  North West Leicestershire , is suspended from the  Conservative Party  for spreading misinforma

  1 December   A parliamentary by-election is held in Chester . Labour's Samantha Dixon holds the seat with an increased majority. Ian Blackford announces his resignation as Leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons. 2 December  Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock returns to Westminster following his participation in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Health Secretary Sajid Javid announces he will stand down as an MP at the next general election. 6 December Stephen Flynn is elected to lead the SNP at Westminster, replacing Ian Blackford. Conservative Party peer Michelle Mone is to request a leave of absence from the House of Lords to clear her name after allegations she benefitted a company she recommended for a COVID contract. 7 December Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirms he will not stand for Parliament again at the next general election. Kate Bell is appointed as Assistant General Secretary of

It goes without saying that the cost of living crisis has massively affected our finances, the way we spend and our lifestyle, which may leave you feeling concerned about ways to cope. You are certainly not alone; more and more people are feeling the pinch on their pounds with the highest inflation increase in decades, meaning your money doesn't go as far as it used to. Get help with the cost of living If you don’t have enough money to live on, you might be able to get help to afford essentials like bills and food. This includes the Household Support Fund and cost of living payments. You should check if you can claim benefits - you might be able to do this even if you have a job. Check what benefits you can get You might be able to claim benefits or increase your current benefits if you’re: of working age and on a low income sick or disabled of State Pension age and on a low income a carer responsible for children You can check what benefits you can get . Get your first benefit pay

  1 November  Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock is suspended from the Conservative Party after joining the cast of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . He will now sit as an independent MP. 3 November The Bank of England raises interest rates by 0.75 percentage points to 3%, the biggest hike since 1989, and forecasts a recession until 2024. After a year's delay, the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup begins in England. 4 November Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris indefinitely postpones plans for a snap Northern Ireland Assembly election. COVID-19 in the UK: The latest Office for National Statistics data indicates there were 1.9 million COVID-19 cases in the week up to 24 October, with around one in 35 people having the virus. Cases in England and Wales fell from the previous week, while there was a slight rise in Northern Ireland, with figures uncertain for Scotland. 7 November Multiple junctions of the M25 are closed as Just Stop Oil stage their latest p

With the Chancellor making further updates to government spending plans and the health service facing crisis on several fronts, there is uncertainty over what the future will hold for health care finances amid such instability.  How much is this government really spending on the NHS per person given rising demographic pressures, and how does this compare historically? As the new Chancellor faces a dilemma over whether to cut back spending to reassure febrile markets, government spending departments are bracing themselves for some deep scrutiny of their budgets. In terms of spending, the Department of Health and Social Care is the largest department – and the second-largest area of all government spending, after welfare spending. As such, it can expect its funding to be examined closely. Since 1979/80, the Department’s budget has grown four-fold in real terms, and it has doubled its share of the GDP pie. Planned spending between the current year 2022/23 and 2024/25 will add a further £1

  Thank you Brian, and thank you, conference. It’s a privilege to be here in Birmingham to address you at such a pivotal moment for our country. And here at the Vox, in the NEC, a place where so many greats of music and theatre have played. Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Justin Bieber – he’s coming here soon – and who could forget in 2019 the all-time favourite of the CBI – Peppa Pig. Yes, she played here too. But look – I’m here today to talk about Labour’s plan for Britain. How together, we can build a fairer, greener, more dynamic country. A nation where working people succeed, where aspiration is rewarded. A Britain with its confidence, its hope and its future – back. I come with a simple message: Labour is ready. Ready to give Britain the clear economic leadership it needs. Ready to work with you to drive our country forward. Not just a pro-business party but a party that is proud of being pro-business. That respects the contribution profit makes to jobs, growth and our tax base, that ge

  Tony, let me start by saying thank you to you and your team. The CBI is a valued institution in this country… …and a powerful voice for business. And let me thank all of you… Because I know things are tough right now. You rightly want to know what you can expect from me. You saw what mattered to me when I was Chancellor, with policies like furlough. Acting with empathy. In the national interest. Above all, being bold, decisive, and radical. Now let me tell you what I want to do as Prime Minister. I said on the steps of Downing Street that I would put stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda. And last week we did that… …with a plan to grip inflation and balance the books. I said I would bring fairness and compassion to help the most vulnerable. And we’ve done that too… …not just with record increases in pensions and welfare… ….and help for people’s energy bills… …but by controlling inflation. Because the best way to help people… …is by stopping mortgages, rent