Burnham commits to net zero, Bank of England holds rates, and Reform UK councillors defect

Burnham commits to Net Zero, Bank of England holds rates, Reform UK councillors defect

The government faces internal industrial unrest at the housing department and the House of Lords admits a former cabinet secretary who received a severance payout of £860,000.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged on Thursday that the UK must fully commit to reaching net zero by 2050. He announced £30m in funding for local energy projects to empower communities. The government refused to set a date for its decision on the Jackdaw gas field, and the Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75 per cent. This is UKFCP's 24 hours in politics round-up.

The government continues to navigate its first few months in office ahead of the October Budget. Parliament is currently managing a crowded legislative agenda including the ongoing by-election in Holborn and St Pancras.

Burnham's climate paradox

Burnham said the UK must commit to its 2050 goals as he empowered communities to tackle the climate crisis. He claimed British people understand the threat of global heating.

However, Minister for Local Energy and Jobs Martin McCluskey told Sky News on Thursday that the decision on the Jackdaw gas field was "ongoing". Nearly 600 scientists and health professionals have warned the Prime Minister against approving the Rosebank oil field.

Budget and economic anxiety

The Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75 per cent on Thursday following a 6-3 vote by the Monetary Policy Committee. The Bank warned that rates are likely to rise if high energy prices continue.

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith accused the government of creating instability ahead of the 28 October Budget. Griffith said rumours of further tax rises are "causing Britain's wealth creators to flee the country".

Reform UK fractures

Three councillors in Durham, Lyndsey Fox, Nicole Brown, and Paul Sexton, quit Reform UK on Thursday to sit as independents. The party responded by accusing the departing members of "betrayal".

Internal volatility extended to Wales, where sources told the BBC that deputy leader Helen Jenner is the favourite to lead Reform Wales. The move follows the arrest of Dan Thomas on Sunday.

Governance and industrial unrest

Sir Chris Wormald took a seat in the House of Lords on Thursday. Wormald left his role as head of the civil service in February after receiving a severance payout of £860,000 funded by the taxpayer.

Meanwhile, members of the Public and Commercial Services union at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government plan to strike later this month. The dispute concerns the closure of government offices under Housing Secretary Angela Rayner.

Also in the last 24 hours

• Mayor Sadiq Khan mocked Green leader Zack Polanski by speaking to him in Urdu during Mayor's Question Time on Thursday.
• A Liberal Democrat MP warned that her party is "struggling for relevance" in a call for "insurgent" liberalism.
• A cross-party group of peers urged the government to introduce a "tobacco-style ban" on almost all gambling advertising.
• First Secretary Louise Haigh warned that artificial intelligence carries a "huge risk" without proper safety guardrails.
• The Department of Health and Social Care made the breast cancer drug Enhertu available on the NHS in England on Thursday.
• Reform-affiliated police commissioner Colin Sutton cancelled a 127-date theatre tour following public backlash over his £79,000 salary.
• Guido Fawkes reported that the government turned down a private bidder for Speciality Steel UK before nationalising the company.

The government's first fiscal statement will be delivered in the Budget on 28 October.