Winter Fuel Regulations

Politically, the new (Labour) government made a choice to remove Winter Fuel payments from all the elderly apart from those who qualify for pension credits. Many Labour backbench MPs - often with slim majorities from the recent general election - are unhappy -see

Keir Starmer under pressure as row grows over cut to winter fuel payments | ITV News and 

Is there a £22bn ‘black hole’ in the UK’s public finances? - BBC News.

Of course, millionaires hardly need a winter fuel payment but it is risible to describe, as some have, the majority of pensioners as "millionaires" and thousands fail

House of Lords Reform ~ Hereditary Peers to be completely excluded

On 5 September 2024 the government introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament

See also the Explanatory Notes (pdf)

The Bill seeks to implement a Labour Party manifesto commitment to remove 'the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords; to abolish the jurisdiction of the House of Lords in relation to claims to hereditary peerages ..'

The majority of hereditary peers were excluded from the House of Lords by the House of Lords Act 1999 (legislation.gov.uk) but a compromise was reached and section 2 of that Act provided for 90 such peers to continue as members. In addition the Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain were excepted. 

The Bill states

In modern times. claims to hereditary peerages are rare and the Bill will abolish the ancient jurisdiction of the House of Lords over such claims. 

If any claims arise

Grenfell Tower Fire 14 June 2017 ~ Final Report and earlier reports

With updates - 5, 6, 7 and 8 September

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Grenfell Tower Inquiry - YouTube

On 14 June 2017, a fire occurred in Flat 16 at Grenfell Tower, Kensington. The resident promptly contacted emergency services but the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the whole tower block. That was principally due to cladding on the building which contained Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) with a polyethylene core. 72 lives were lost and many made homeless.

The Prime Minister, then Theresa May, set up an inquiry to be held under the Inquiries Act 2005 and appointed a former Lord Justice of Appeal - Sir Martin Moore-Bick - as its chair.

Here are the reports from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. I will add links to any commentaries as they become available.

October 2019 - Phase 1 report | Grenfell Tower Inquiry

September 2024 - Phase 2 report | Grenfell Tower Inquiry