Gove returns as levelling up secretary

26 October 2022
Gove returns as levelling up secretary
Michael Gove has returned to his previous position as secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities in Rishi Sunak's new cabinet.
Gove previously served in the role under Boris Johnson, but was sacked after calling for Johnson to resign. His sacking was one of the catalysts that led to Johnson's resignation.
Gove has also previously served as education secretary and justice secretary.
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Sunak names cabinet

26 October 2022
Sunak names cabinet
New prime minister Rishi Sunak has started naming his cabinet with some familiar faces back in their previous roles.
Jeremy Hunt remains as chancellor. He was appointed by former PM Liz Truss a little over a week ago after her previous chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked. Upon appointment Hunt reversed several of his predecessor's policies. He previously served as health secretary under David Cameron.
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Sunak becomes Prime Minister

25 October 2022
Sunak becomes Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak has officially become Prime Minister following the resignation of Liz Truss.
Sunak has met the King at Buckingham Palace and is now officially prime minister.
He won the leadership race on Monday after his rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt dropped out.
Sunak becomes the first British-Asian prime minister and the youngest prime minister in over 100 years.
He previously served as chancellor under Boris Johnson and his resignation was part of the reason for Johnson's exit from office.
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Councillors join police on ward walks

25 October 2022
Councillors join police on ward walks
Councillors in Wigan have joined police officers on ward walks to address residents' concerns about crime, speeding and anti-social behaviour.
The ward walks intend to make it easier for residents to highlight concerns.
Councillor Lawrence Hunt, who is taking part in the walks, said: "Ward walks are a great idea, which will help our residents feel much safer on our streets."
He is being joined by George Davies and Michael McLoughlin - all three represent Wigan Central.
Image: Alex Borland
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Sunak to be next PM

24 October 2022
Sunak to be next PM
Rishi Sunak is to become the next prime minister, after Penny Mordaunt pulled out.
Mordaunt pulled out just moments before the ballot was set to close.
With no other contenders, Sunak will become the next prime minister.
Sunak reached the required 100 nominations, it is not clear how many nominations Mordaunt got.
Sunak will be the first British-Asian prime minister and the youngest in over 100 years.
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Warm banks start to open

24 October 2022
Warm banks start to open
Warm banks have started to open across the country as temperatures get lower and people struggle to warm their homes.
Councils, religious organisation, community groups, and businesses have been setting up and advertising their warm banks.
The Warm Welcome campaign has a website where organisations can register their warm bank and a map is available for those looking for one. There are currently over 1600 places listed on the website.
The map shows what facilities are available at each bank, including parking, food and charging facilities.
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Sunak v Mordaunt as Johnson pulls out

24 October 2022
Sunak v Mordaunt as Johnson pulls out
Rishi Sunak is leading the race to become the next prime minister, with Boris Johnson pulling out on Sunday.
Sunak has the most declared backers and it is not yet clear if his rival Penny Mordaunt will get the required 100.
Nominations close at 14.00 today.
180 MPs have made their nominations public with 155 backing Sunak and 25 backing Mordaunt.
If Mordaunt reaches 100, the competition will then go to an online ballot of Conservative party members, with the winner announced by Friday.
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CQC report highlights waits and inequalities in social care

21 October 2022
CQC report highlights waits and inequalities in social care
The Quality Care Commission (CQC) has published its annual State of Care report, highlighting problems in social care.
The report claims the health and social care system is gridlocked.
According to the report, a large number of people are in hospital longer than they need to be due to a lack of available social care, and people waiting for social care support for too long.
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New PM by next Friday

21 October 2022
New PM by next Friday
Following the resignation of Liz Truss, the new prime minister will be announced by next Friday.
A Conservative leadership contest will be held and the winner will become the fifth prime minister in six years.
Conservative MPs are now able to nominate who they would like to be the next prime minister, and candidates will need at least 100 nominations to compete. This means only 3 candidates will be able to progress, as there are 357 Conservative MPs. Nominations will close at 2 pm on Monday.
If only one person gets 100 nominations, they will become prime minister.
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Liz Truss resigns as prime minister

20 October 2022
Liz Truss resigns as prime minister
Prime minister Liz Truss has resigned after 45 days in the role.
A Conservative Party leadership contest will be held in the next week to find a successor.
The announcement comes after several of her own MPs called for her to resign, following ministerial resignations and U-turns on economic policies.
She was elected leader in September, meaning she has become the shortest serving British prime minister in history.
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