Max Kendix

It is hoped that the first new towns, to be announced on Monday, could be lived in within a decade. Full details here thetimes.com/article/ea09d6…

Exc: What will Labour name its new towns? We can reveal some options drawn up by officials... - Elizabethtown (after late Queen) - Pankhurst (after suffragette Emmeline) - Attleeton (after ex-PM) - Athelstan (first King of England) - Seacole (after nurse Mary)

See full details here thetimes.com/article/4a185f…

Exc: Britain’s ability to produce its own petrol and diesel is under threat because of punitive green emissions taxes, ministers have been warned Chair of Esso UK, which operates the country's biggest oil refinery, joins industry to criticise Treasury move this week

Exc: Disability benefits for some young people could be made conditional on trying to get a job as part of plans to overhaul the welfare system Pat McFadden considering taking 16-24 year olds out of PIP and UC health top-up, replacing them with a new system tied to work

Full details here thetimes.com/world/middle-e…

Exc: Benefit claimants could receive targeted payouts to make up for a rise in energy bills under measures to ease the impact of the war in Iran The support discussed would be modelled on warm home discount scheme, a payment which goes to about six million low-income households

Full details here thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Exc: Starmer under increasing pressure to crack down on the ability of rich and powerful people to prevent publication of stories about them We reveal memo from Sarah Sackman and a letter to PM from 54 Labour MPs - calling for anti-Slapp legislation in the King's Speech

NEW: Greens dip but still joint second in weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News RefUK 23% (=) CON 19% (+3) GRN 19% (-2) LAB 17% (+1) LDEM 14% (=) Among the 18-24 age bracket, the Greens are dominating on *50%*, their highest yet on YouGov

Exclusive from @MaxKendix Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for digital ID face a fresh setback after cabinet ministers refused to co-operate with the project Wes Streeting, the health secretary, and Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, are both said to have made clear that their departments will not hand over some data for the scheme A consultation on the plans is due to launch on Tuesday. It will present the ways the government believes the app could work, including giving the option for parents to apply for digital IDs for newborn babies to make it easier to access services Ministers have been trying to make a broader case for the technology, arguing that it would give British citizens more control over their data and how they interact with the government. However, it would not replace the existing NHS app or have its data integrated into it. A government source said: “Almost immediately after the plans were announced, Wes [Streeting] made it clear that he would not be providing NHS data for the project. There is an internal focus in the department for health on the NHS app and its overhaul. They didn’t want it to be caught up in the digital ID plans.” Government sources also said Phillipson resisted her department being dragged into the plans for the app. They said there were informal discussions between the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education about integrating new “individual support plans”, digital passports documenting a child’s special educational needs, into the digital ID service, although Phillipson believed it would complicate her plans in the area An ally of Phillipson said they did not recognise the conversation thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Exclusive: Britain would have to pull troops out of Estonia and Cyprus to be able to send a brigade to Ukraine after a potential peace deal, senior defence figures believe. Scoop by @MaxKendix thetimes.com/article/338cca…

Full details here thetimes.com/uk/defence/art…

Exc with @larisamlbrown: Britain would have to pull troops out of Estonia and Cyprus to be able to send a brigade to Ukraine after a potential peace deal, senior defence figures believe MoD planning for a far less expansive deployment than the 5,000 troops promised to Zelensky

Thank you to all the parents, campaigners and researchers who helped put this together There are many more cases which remain unreported. Many follow an awful familiar pattern of failure See the full interactive gallery here thetimes.com/article/dbce95…

Times investigation: They had special educational needs. The state failed them so badly that they took their own lives We uncover the stories of 20 young people whose recent deaths are blamed on failures by schools, councils and hospitals to give them the support they needed

Read the full story here thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Exc: Councils forced to spend £20k a year for a single child to receive horse therapy to help with special educational needs EHCPs used for therapy alpacas, dogs, angling, and aerial arts. Costs of horse-related spending alone is £1.9m across 22 councils this year, for 119 cases

Lots more detail from @MaxKendix, @GLJourno and I here: thetimes.com/article/4befee…