The public are prepared by overwhelming majorities to support local lockdowns if coronavirus flares up in their area.

An annual ranking of average international broadband speeds has revealed that the UK is among the slowest in Europe.

A new scheme to help young people into work has been launched in the hope of creating high-quality, government-subsidised jobs across the UK.
Under the £2 billion Kickstart scheme, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of his Plan for Jobs, employers can offer youngsters aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit a six-month work placement. The government will fully fund each ‘Kickstart’ job - paying 100 per cent of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.

The District Councils Network is urging ministers not to implement proposals to scrap 213 smaller councils and replace them with 25 larger bodies.
The proposal was recently voiced by the County Council Network, which argued that single unitary councils could deliver £3 billion worth of savings over five years and ‘maximise’ the benefits of economic growth and housing policy.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been accused by some of ‘playing politics’ with public health, following new lockdown easing measures.

A new report by the Centre for Policy Studies has found that a pension-style model would be most cost-effective solution for social care reform.
The centre-right think tank has considered the three leading options for social care reform, ranking them by cost, political feasibility and impact on supply.

Opposition parties have warned that proposals to abolish or significantly revamp the Electoral Commission risks undermining faith in democracy.
The move against the Electoral Commission, as outlined by the Conservatives’ co-chair Amanda Milling, has been dubbed an attempt to prevent the exposure of ‘embarrassing funding connections to Russian oligarchs’.
The Electoral Commission regulates political donations, spending and other areas, with the power to undertake its own investigations and fine parties and officials for breaches of the rules.

Next year's A-level and GCSE exams should be pushed back to mid-summer to help cope with the impact of coronavirus, says Labour.

The government has announced that the single-use carrier bag charge will be extended to all retailers and increased to 10p from April 2021.

The DfT has announced new proposals to ban antisocial parking, and make pavements could be made safer for people with disabilities.