The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced reforms to the judicial review process for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) in the UK. A key change is the reduction in the number of attempts to seek permission to bring legal challenges against a development consent decision for NSIPs, from three to one. The paper permission stage for judicial reviews will be removed, with all applications proceeding directly to an oral hearing. Primary legislation will also be amended so that cases deemed 'totally without merit' by a High Court judge during an oral hearing cannot be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal. However, to maintain access to justice, a second attempt to appeal will be permitted for other cases. The Minister of State for Justice, Sarah Sackman, also announced additional measures, including the introduction of non-mandatory case management conferences, the formal designation of NSIP judicial reviews as significant planning court claims, and the establishment of target timescales for NSIP judicial reviews in higher courts. These reforms aim to streamline the planning process and expedite the delivery of critical infrastructure, such as nuclear plants, trainlines, and windfarms. Sackman also confirmed that the government’s response to the call for evidence on this matter will be published in due course.

The Prime Minister's Office and the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP announced, on 9 August 2026, the first two measures in its 'everyday fixes' programme to help reduce the cost of living. The measures include bringing forward the implementation of the subscription contract regime under Part 4, Chapter 2 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA 2024) to January 2027 (from the previously expected Spring 2027), and launching a consultation on banning misleading pricing practices—such as fake discounts and inflated 'was' prices—by adding them to the list of prohibited commercial practices under the DMCCA 2024, which would render them automatically unfair and ease enforcement. The subscription rules will require businesses to provide clearer upfront information, regular reminders and easier cancellation, alongside a 14-day cooling-off period after a trial or long-term contract renewal. Certain charitable memberships for cultural and heritage organisations will be excluded.

The Prime Minister’s Office has announced plans to give councils and communities greater control over high streets. New vape shops in England will require planning permission, with tighter definitions to prevent businesses avoiding the rules. Adult gaming centres will also require planning permission under proposals due to take effect at the start of 2027. The government intends to revoke the Gambling Act 2005 ‘Aim to Permit’ rule, which currently limits councils’ ability to refuse new gambling premises. Closure Orders will also be extended from 6 to 12 months in England and Wales to help enforcement agencies tackle businesses linked to organised crime. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute welcomed the extension but called for Closure Orders to be made available to county councils in two-tier areas and in Scotland.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, has responded to a joint letter from First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, and First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, which they sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 25 May 2021. In the letter, Gove highlighted the importance of cooperation in the response to the latest phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, comprising the vaccine production and rollout throughout the UK. Gove notified Sturgeon and Drakeford that the Prime Minister has agreed to delay the COVID Recovery meeting to allow for additional preparations to take place, but ‘remains keen to meet as soon as possible’.

The Prime Minister has launched the Global Clean Power Alliance at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with 12 countries, including Brazil, Australia, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Tanzania, and the African Union, signing up to its inaugural mission. The US and the EU will also partner with the UK on this initiative. The Alliance aims to expedite the global clean energy transition by uniting developed and developing nations to meet COP28 commitments to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency. It will have ‘Missions’ to address critical energy transition challenges, starting with a ‘Finance Mission’, co-chaired by Brazil, which seeks to unlock private finance for developing countries.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), led by The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, together with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has announced plans to strengthen online child safety protections. The government intends to close loopholes in the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) to ensure that all artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot providers are subject to the illegal content duties under the OSA 2023. It will also introduce new powers enabling ministers to act more quickly as technology evolves.

The Prime Minister's Office has announced that the Prime Minister has set out a new approach to reforming adult social care in England, including plans to develop a National Care Service, accelerate Baroness Casey's independent commission to report by summer 2027, launch the Big Conversation on Care public engagement exercise, and establish a ministerial group to oversee early reforms. The government states that the reforms will focus on integrating the health and social care workforce, improving pay, training and career progression, strengthening coordination between health and care services, supporting prevention and independent living, securing sustainable funding, and ensuring that the Commission's recommendations are informed by public engagement and cross-party consensus.

The Prime Minister's Office, HM Treasury and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have announced that the government will remove VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October 2026 for the remainder of the 2026–27 financial year to help reduce household energy costs. The temporary reduction from 5–0% is expected to reduce the annual Ofgem price cap by around £45, lower Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation by around 0.10 percentage points and Retail Prices Index (RPI) by around 0.14 percentage points, and cost an estimated £850 million, funded through the cancellation of the £1.8 billion Digital ID programme. The government said all suppliers are expected to pass the VAT reduction on to customers, including those on fixed tariffs, and confirmed that qualifying small businesses, charities and residential care homes will also benefit. It added that any longer-term measures will be considered at the Budget alongside an Office for Budget Responsibility forecast, while the Northern Ireland Executive will receive comparable funding because EU VAT rules continue to apply to electricity in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister's Office, led by The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, has announced the largest sanctions package targeting Russia's shadow fleet at the Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Oslo. The sanctions will target up to 100 oil tankers responsible for transporting over $24 billion worth of cargo since 2024, aiming to protect UK and European critical national infrastructure. The shadow fleet, linked to the Kremlin's illegal war in Ukraine, poses a threat through reckless seafaring. The UK has activated the Nordic Warden system to monitor potential threats to subsea infrastructure, which is crucial for telecommunications and energy supplies. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to disrupt the shadow fleet to undermine Putin's war efforts and protect national infrastructure. The JEF leaders will also enhance their partnership with Ukraine, supporting its armed forces and increasing interoperability. Additionally, the UK and Norway will agree on a memorandum of understanding on space domain awareness to protect critical infrastructure in space.

The Prime Minister's Office has announced that the Prime Minister will meet mayors from across England on 4 June 2026 to discuss housing, infrastructure, transport and economic growth. The government says it will support mayors in advancing stalled housing and infrastructure projects, including proposed new towns and transport improvements, and has confirmed discussions with the Mayor of London on bringing local rail services between Moorgate, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage under Transport for London control. The meeting forms part of the government's wider devolution agenda, which includes the new 'Right to Request' process allowing mayors to propose additional devolved powers to support growth in their areas. The Prime Minister has also announced transport investments including a mass transit system for West Yorkshire, the expansion of the Birmingham Metro and the reopening of the Cowley branch rail line in Oxford. The government says its planning, regulatory and devolution reforms are intended to accelerate the delivery of homes, infrastructure and transport projects and support economic growth.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have announced £65 million in support for farmers in England affected by drought. The package includes an additional £50 million for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026, taking its budget to £290 million and up to £15 million for on-farm reservoirs. The government will also take steps to make reservoir construction easier and improve arrangements for accessing and sharing water during drought.

The Prime Minister's Office and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have announced an enforcement package targeting illegal waste crime. Measures include: (1) an increase from £300 to £5,000 in the maximum fine for illegally dumping or failing to treat waste correctly; (2) increased Environment Agency (EA) capacity to confiscate assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime and (3) new confiscation order enforcement powers under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (CPA 2026). Better use of drones, a bigger role for the police and the National Crime Agency and more EA officers on the frontline will help deter, catch and punish those who dump illegally. A new Waste Crime Crackdown Group, chaired by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, will coordinate regulators and law enforcement. West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester will be the first areas to adopt new region-led approaches, with mayors and council leaders co-ordinating councils, police and regulators. Three sites have been identified for clearance, subject to feasibility assessments, containing approximately 22,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste and affecting an estimated 2,900 families.