This morning, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to modernise the NHS and finally drag it out of the "dark ages." According to the latest data, 1.5 million appointments have been booked thanks to the accelerated rollout of the NHS App.
However, questions remain about how much this technological progress can alleviate broader pressures on the system, particularly as NHS workers have been recommended for a 3% pay rise — higher than the government’s initial budget projections. Expect a lot of back-and-forth over the next few weeks.
In other political developments, Reform UK is on course for clear victories in both the Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire mayoral contests, according to new YouGov polling. Andrea Jenkyns and Luke Campbell are both holding double-digit leads, with Jenkyns up by 15 points and Campbell by 14. It appears Reform UK could be making real breakthroughs in these new combined authorities… Atticus Partners will be publishing our take once results are in, stay tuned for that.
Over the weekend, during Pope Francis' funeral, Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy had a seemingly more quiet conversation in a corner of St Peter’s Basilica. Although the details of their conversation have not been made public, reports indicate both Ukraine and Russia were presented with an ultimatum to end this war.
With Trump saying he believes Zelenskyy is ready to give up Crimea in a peace deal with Russia, these developments are definitely ones to watch in the coming days. And just to add even more fuel to the fire, North Korea has confirmed it has sent troops to assist Russian forces, with Pyongyang’s military claiming that its soldiers contributed to the "complete liberation" of Russia’s Kursk border region, following direct orders from leader Kim Jong Un.
Lastly, over in Canada, it’s election day! People are heading to the polls, and we should start seeing some preliminary results late tonight or early Tuesday morning. Right now, it’s tight, with Mark Carney’s Liberal Party holding a narrow two-point lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. The campaign has been heavily influenced by Trump’s threats to annex Canada, which initially boosted Carney’s lead. However, Poilievre’s message of change has resonated with younger voters, and the final outcome remains uncertain.
What’s On in Parliament
Monday 28th April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Education
- Legislation: Football Governance Bill [Lords]: Second reading
House of Lords
- Oral questions: The level of self-harm among young people under the age of 18 and plans to address the problem
- Oral questions: Funding provided to tackle violence against women and girls through open application processes
- Urgent Question Repeat: Talks held yesterday in London on the war in Ukraine
- Debate: Report from the Science and Technology Committee 'Don’t fail to scale: seizing the opportunity of engineering biology'
Tuesday 29th April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Ten Minute Rule Motion: Maternity Units (Requirement for Bereavement Suite)
- Westminster Hall Debate: Compensation for criminal injuries
- Westminster Hall Debate: Black Maternal Health Week 2025
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Plans to introduce cross-sector legislation on artificial intelligence in 2025
- Oral questions: Assessment of the impact in Scotland of increased defence spending
- Legislation: Employment Rights Bill - committee stage (day 1)
Wednesday 30th April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Wales
- Prime Minister’s Question Time
- Westminster Hall Debate: Safety of humanitarian workers in conflict zones
- Westminster Hall Debate: Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Young adults who are homeless
- Oral questions: National Shipbuilding Strategy
- Legislation: Great British Energy Bill - consideration of Commons reasons
Thursday 1st May
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Department for Business and Trade
- Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
- Backbench Business: General Debate on Parkinson’s Awareness Month
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Advancing the development of dementia and Alzheimer's treatments
- Oral questions: Impact of changes to inheritance tax rules on rural businesses and economic growth
- Short debate: Using frozen Libyan assets to provide compensation to victims of IRA terrorism
- Short debate: Improving access to banking and finance for small businesses
Friday 2nd May
Parliament is in recess and will next sit on 6th May.
Consultations
- Draft legislation: carbon border adjustment mechanism - Closes 3rd July
- Planning for new energy infrastructure: 2025 revisions to National Policy Statements - Closes 29th May
- Proposed updates to the Environment Agency’s enforcement and sanctions policy to include the Clean Heat Market Mechanism - Published 15th July
Statistics
- Wholesale fruit and vegetable prices - Published 28th April
- Transport and environment statistics: 2023 - Published 24th April
- UK trade in goods by declared currency of invoice 2024 - Published 24th April