WIREDGOV

A man has been charged with smuggling firearms and ammunition after 55 loaded Glock pistols were discovered

A serial killer who murdered five women in 2006 has been sentenced for the murder another teenager seven years earlier following groundbreaking forensic techniques.

Illegal migrants and criminals from 3 African countries will be deported following a threat by the Home Secretary to shut down their visas to Britain.

Delays and backlogs in processing Access to Work applications have more than doubled over the past four years. The average time taken by DWP to process applications increased from 28 days in 2020-21 to 66 days in 2024-25, affecting people’s job security and employers’ cashflow and leading to growing complaints, says the NAO

Two people were arrested on 5 February 2026 as part of an ongoing Environment Agency investigation.

The expiry of New START could further undermine the credibility of US extended deterrence and complicate European and US efforts to strengthen conventional deterrence.

National Apprenticeship Week takes place 9-15 February and is a week-long celebration that shines a light on the economic and social impact of apprenticeships.

An increase in flood risk is one of the biggest climate-related health risks in Wales, with Public Health Wales urging people to be prepared and giving advice on how to find out if you are at risk and what to do next. 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday gave a statement to Parliament following her trip to Adré on the Sudanese border in Chad.

YPO has launched a new Team Leadership Apprenticeship Scheme to support staff with progression and upskilling.

Europe has realized that engaging Tehran without leverage, interlocutors or credible pathways to change is unsustainable. But it should not abandon Iranians altogether.

A man who fraudulently claimed to be Gas Safe Registered (GSR) has been jailed after his dangerous work put the life of a 90-year-old homeowner at risk.

Pioneering defence firms have pitched their innovations directly to major investors in a first-of-its-kind Dragons’ Den-style event, set up by the Ministry of Defence.

The annual cost of a TV licence will rise to £180 from 1 April 2026, as required by the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, in line with inflation.

The final report and recommendations of the independent Commission on Sentencing and Penal Policy.

Uganda’s leadership is drifting into another authoritarian spiral.

An Oxfordshire landscaping boss who ignored his director ban and left £300,000 in unpaid tax across two firms has been banned from running companies for 12 years.

At the Association of Colleges (AoC) Annual Conference and Exhibition 2025, NCFE hosted a breakout session bringing together senior leaders, educators, and practitioners to explore how devolution is reshaping adult skills delivery and what this means in practice for providers, learners and employers.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford condemns Russia’s mass strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during severe winter temperatures. 

New all Wales resources to support current guidance for schools to deal with incidents of weapons in schools and education settings are being developed.

Further batches of Danone infant formula products have been recalled today (6 February 2026). The FSA is asking parents and caregivers to check the batches listed in the Product Recall Information Notices and stop using any that are affected.

Roger and Angela Smith were found guilty of unpermitted storage and disposal of waste and now must repay £600,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

APCC Joint Leads on Criminal Justice, Danielle Stone and Alison Hernandez, recently (04 February 2026) commented on the findings of Part 2 of Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review of the criminal courts in England and Wales.

CBI yesterday responded to Bank of England interest rate decision – February 2026.

The final report has considered lessons learnt from the 24 November 2021 Channel tragedy and has provided 18 recommendations to government (5 February 2026) .

Views are being sought on measures to speed up the delivery of new homes as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the housing emergency. 

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has set out its latest report into its priorities, identifying seven priority workstreams for 2026.

GAD guidance supports gender pension gap disclosure in 2025 local government fund valuations.

Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, responded to the publication of the National Cancer Plan

UKHSA and MHRA are urging the public not to use 4 specified non-sterile alcohol-free wipe products due to the risk of infection associated with their use.

Eight in 10 councils warn they will become insolvent over mounting deficits related to the cost of supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, a new survey by the Local Government Association suggests.  

Court order blocks access to land near Skipton to prevent dumping of illegal waste.

Twenty-five projects have been successful in securing funding in cycle four of the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, delivered by Innovate UK.

Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs commented on the Bank of England’s decision to hold interest rates

The UK has imposed new sanctions against 6 individuals fuelling Sudan's war, following the Foreign Secretary's visit to the Sudan-Chad border.

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) needs to be more transparent about its progress updating thousands of people about their pension entitlement.

In addition, UKHSA has also identified increases in cases of Salmonella associated with travel to Cape Verde.

The next phase of the Data (Use and Access) Act (DUAA) implementation commenced yesterday, 5 February 2026. This means that most of the remaining data protection provisions of the Act have come into force, except for the requirement for organisations to have a complaints procedure which is due to commence on 19 June 2026 and some ICO governance provisions which will follow at a later date. 

Professor Ashwin Kumar, director of research and policy at IPPR, and a former advisor to Gordon Brown, responded to Nigel Farage’s plan for pubs

Walkers gain access to stunning coastline between Hayling Island and East Head. New trail joins more than 210 miles of a continuous path on the south coast

“UNICEF is increasingly alarmed by reports of a rapid rise in the volume of AI-generated sexualised images circulating, including cases where photographs of children have been manipulated and sexualised.

Environment Agency shuts down illegal waste site at Power Station Road in Minster, Isle of Sheppey. Access blocked to prevent further waste entering the site.

We have fined MediaLab.AI, Inc. (MediaLab), owner of image sharing and hosting platform Imgur, £247,590 for failing to use children’s personal information lawfully.  

The leading think tank in the north of England says The Great North partnership and government should act collaboratively to establish the north as a great place to invest and ultimately help raise living standards.

The International Development Committee has said that plans for restructuring the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) could risk poverty reduction being deprioritised and renewed its calls for the plans to be paused.

There is no doubt that NHS services are still incredibly busy and under immense pressure.

The UK and US signed a Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals in Washington DC on 4 February.

Government collaborates with Microsoft and other world leading technology companies to create a framework which will identify gaps in deepfake detection.

From Blackpool to Plymouth, 14 areas to be transformed as part of the once-in-a-generation reforms to local government

Government will work with children to create the first ever child-friendly version of the Victims' Code

A wireless sensor the size of a paperclip could transform care for people living with chronic heart failure, enabling them to monitor their condition daily from home and catch warning signs before they become emergencies, NICE has said.

Ambulances handed over patients more than 2 minutes faster last month despite facing their busiest January since before COVID-19.

Minister's speech to National Farmers' Union Scotland's conference highlights UK Government's commitment to industry, as forum explores growth opportunities and challenges in rural Scotland

New guidance will support fairer and more balanced decisions on investment in every part of the country.

The UK and US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals in Washington DC.

This manifesto sets out techUK’s priorities for devolved governments, focusing on driving economic growth, supporting a thriving tech sector and embedding digital at the heart of public services.

APCC Joint Lead on Addictions and Substance Misuse yesterday expressed disappointment at failure to reclassify ketamine as Class A.

Public Health Wales has confirmed that the investigation into a food poisoning incident linked to The Corner House Inn in Llangynwyd, near Maesteg, has now concluded.

Speech delivered by the Business Secretary, the RT Hon Peter Kyle, at the 2026 UK Trade and Export Finance Forum.

Senior business leaders, metro mayors and universities yesterday [Wednesday 4th February] convened in Manchester for the CBI-Lloyds Mayoral Summit, six months after the launch of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.  

An EFRA Committee report into the Government’s negotiations with the European Union over the trade of meat, plant and animal products says a future deal must avoid disadvantaging UK agriculture and meat businesses.

The shameful lack of action of online marketplaces to keep children safe has been laid bare by BBC Watchdog after a bladed item was found hidden in a children’s stationery kit that was purchased from Amazon.

More than 860,000 sole traders and landlords need to start using digital tax reporting from 6 April.

Martyn Oliver, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, yesterday spoke at the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) 2026 Winter Conference/AGM in London.

The Secretary of State launched the National Cancer Plan yesterday at the Royal Free Hospital in North London.

Royal Proclamation approved by His Majesty the King.

Customers demanded answers from South East Water bosses over the company’s handling of water supply disruption at the first meeting of a powerful new set of government-backed consumer panels.

Climate and nature can no longer be pigeonholed as an environmental problem.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Emma Reynolds recently spoke at IBPES-12 on Tuesday 3 February.

Almost 200 containers of low-level radioactive waste that once formed part of Britain’s experiment with fast breeder nuclear reactors are being entombed.

Statement given yesterday by Chris Elmore MP, Minister for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean, at the UN Security Council meeting on counter-terrorism.

HMRC has recently issued a warning regarding the operation of tax credit offset models (TCOM) which could result in potential fraud.

Ofwat has today, 5 February 2026, confirmed that Southern Water has completed all the enforcement actions resulting from its 2019 investigation into the company. Those actions saw £126m paid in redress and penalties by the company, alongside improvements to the operation of its wastewater treatment works and its compliance and governance processes.  

Companies wound-up in the public interest following Insolvency Service investigations.

The 2026 UN Water Conference can still have a big impact this year – if it can discuss water action as critical to human wellbeing and economic activity and focus on pragmatic solutions.

HMP Northumberland will gain four new houseblocks, boosting its capacity by 240 places, in the latest Government step to make streets safer. 

The Science and Technology Secretary has written an Op-Ed in the Yorkshire Post on Barnsley becoming the UK's first Tech Town.

First Minister announces funding on anniversary of ‘The Promise’.

A simple home test is sparing thousands of people from unnecessary hospital investigations for bowel cancer, while helping them get faster answers about whether they have the disease – with new data showing the impact of NICE's recommendation to use the test.

The FCA and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have today issued a joint warning to claims management companies (CMCs) and law firms involved in motor finance commission claims to make sure consumers don’t have multiple representatives for the same claim and are not charged excessive termination fees.

First annual joint meeting with Cabinet

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened formal investigations into X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC) and X.AI LLC (X.AI) covering their processing of personal data in relation to the Grok artificial intelligence system and its potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content.  

Thousands more people handed the power to decide how millions are spent in their area as Pride in Place expands.

Progress on reducing drug harms in prison will depend on stronger coordination between HMPPS and health services, reacting urgently to security weaknesses and using information on drug prevalence and health needs more consistently to prioritise spending, says the NAO.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have announced the first cohort of banks and building societies to benefit from their joint Scale-up Unit.

Regulations to be submitted for Parliament’s approval.

£74 million for clean energy upgrades to cut bills for public buildings and create savings for frontline services.

Oxford Economic study demonstrates the significant impact of UKEFs support on businesses and local supply chains.

Huja*, a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), has spoken directly to police, prosecutors and government officials about the urgent need to improve justice and support for victims of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA).

Britain’s defence industry will benefit from an £80 million skills boost to increase places on key strategically-relevant courses.

New group to oversee safety work at Glasgow hospitals.

Yesterday, the House of Lords Public Services publishes its report, 'Medicines security—a national priority'.

Thousands more children in the social care system in England will grow up in loving homes, under plans to create up to 10,000 new foster care places.

A police officer who drove through a red light at speed while responding to a 999 call has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. 

A new nutrient planning tool has been launched to match nutrients to crop and soil need, cutting waste, supporting productivity, and protecting watercourses.

Scotland benefits from unique package of winter heating help.

A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that the Probation Service in England and Wales is being placed under significant strain, seriously impeding its ability to protect the public and reduce reoffending rates.

Nine neighbourhoods at the heart of Welsh life have been named as the recipients of up to £20 million each in UK Government funding.

Amendments to Children (Care, Care Experience, and Services Planning) Bill.

Offshore wind firms must sign up to a ‘Fair Work Charter’ to participate in government renewables auctions.

Under the government's National Cancer Plan, every patient will be given a tailored plan covering treatment, mental health, and employment support.

Funding will support repair, maintenance and long-term projects.

Sustainable business units are available to lease at two new commercial property schemes in Carmarthenshire, following £15 million in funding from the Welsh Government and Carmarthenshire County Council.

Sinema Cymru, a collaboration between S4C, Ffilm Cymru Wales and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales, has announced the recipients of its second round of funding, a scheme aimed at developing several Welsh-language feature film concepts with a view to progressing at least one into production funding.

Short stories inspiring defence and national security thinking.

Foreign Secretary visited Adré on the Sudanese border in Chad and called for urgent global action to secure a ceasefire.

A new consultation for a development corporation in Greater Cambridge has been launched today.

An MOT tester and mechanic have been ordered to do up to 300 hours of unpaid work and face prison if they reoffend after passing 223 vehicles they never tested.

A further arrest made as part of Environment Agency investigation, supported by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Disabled people are set to benefit from the expertise of some of the world's tech giants to help make the workplace more accessible to them.

University of West London failed to properly oversee how a third party delivered graded music assessments and issued certificates.

Government publishes Advanced Nuclear Framework to get pioneering nuclear technology off the ground.

A landmark policy to help reduce deaths and harm from excess alcohol use will be extended in Wales, following a vote in the Senedd.

Historic legislation to end the two-child limit and lift hundreds and thousands of children out of poverty yesterday moved a step closer to reality.  

Communities across the West Midlands will benefit from new high-skilled career opportunities after the government announced a new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, harnessing local expertise to deliver better public investment and services.

Patients will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment, and the support to live well with cancer under the government’s landmark new National Cancer Plan.

Dangerous extremists will face tougher ‘supermax’ style restrictions behind bars under Government plans to keep frontline staff safer.

New partnerships across life sciences, quantum and advanced connectivity.

Wales will see a significant boost to the number of neighbourhood police officers on its streets.

A sixth man has been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration, as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into people smuggling.

Millions of working women will be better off with new measures being introduced to tackle historic gender pension gap.

The Chief Statistician has released figures on local government finance in 2024-25. 

Barnsley has been named the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, with plans to roll out AI across public services, skills, healthcare and local business as part of a place-based regeneration approach. 

Environment Secretary opens international meeting on business and biodiversity.

Sellafield’s Remote Technologies Group is the first to use an innovative contamination swabbing tool for quadruped robots, developed through the RAICo collaboration.

Millions of taxpayers filed their Self Assessment tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year by the deadline.

“It is time for a fundamental reset – to rebuild trust – that work begins now.” – Deputy First Minister.

UPR51: UK Statement on Australia, delivered yesterday by the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, at Australia's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Drugs, migration, China and Venezuela likely to be on the agenda as two outspoken leaders meet in Washington ahead of Colombia’s elections later this year.

Probability-based forecasts can better inform weather-based decision-making, according to new Met Office research.

Update following round 9 of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland.

Up to £20 million made available to boards to boost progress.

The House of Lords International Agreement Committee has today published its report on the UK-India FTA. 

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Lutterworth Athletic Football Club (registered charity number: 1175765)

£10 million financial support package for families of children and young people with cancer to cover travel costs to and from appointments.

We have reprimanded Staines Health Group for sending excessive medical details about a terminally ill patient to their insurance company. 

The Welsh Government is setting out its ambition for Wales to be a ‘Carer Aware’ nation, where unpaid carers are recognised earlier and treated as partners in the planning for the person they care for.

On Thursday 29 January, as part of a week-long series of announcements focused on AI, the Government published a one-year update on the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

The Russian Ambassador was summoned for a meeting to revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges has reported on a complaint against Mr Timothy Gaston MLA that he breached the Assembly Members’ Code of Conduct.

Over 300,000 children are set to benefit from Best Start free breakfast clubs in April, as the government prioritises support to tackle the cost of living.

HeartUnions week is a chance to tell the story about why unions are vital for everyone at work, and to encourage people who aren't yet in a union to join.

A Russian boat captain has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after failing to take any action to prevent a crash between two ships in the North Sea which led to an explosion and the death of a member of crew.

British jobs and businesses to be supported by enhanced cooperation with China in financial services.

Ofwat response to 'Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales'.

Barnsley named UK’s first Tech Town – with local schools and college, businesses, NHS and more getting bespoke government support to unleash opportunities of AI.

An update on Homelessness Statistics covering 1 April to 30 September 2025 has been released today.

India is hoping a new democratically elected government in Bangladesh will help improve bilateral relations. But identity politics in both countries could derail progress.

While the UK focuses on hybrid threats, is it being undermined by dependencies on US providers? Can the UK have a national security agenda in isolation?

New framework will protect public health and the environment from risks posed by PFAS.

Families and individuals from across North Wales have been invited by NHS Wales, to help reshape diabetes care at an innovative 'hackathon' event – as figures reveal the condition now affects one in five adults across Wales.

UK sanctions 10 individuals and one organisation for their role in recent brutality against Iranian protestors. 

Landmark legislation to reform the way local bus services are planned and delivered in Wales yesterday received Royal Assent, becoming law.

Access to essential services in the UK is increasingly decided in the moment by something simple and unstable: having enough data to complete the task in front of you. 

Committee launches ambitious agenda targeting AI transformation, industrial strategy, and economic security.

Following a recent legal challenge, any person at risk of homelessness because of having to leave their asylum accommodation can apply for an extension of up to 56 days until at least 28th February. 

For many of us, the past few weeks have felt relentlessly wet. Repeated bands of rain have swept in from the Atlantic, leading to increasingly saturated ground, travel disruption, and a general sense that winter has been stuck on repeat. 

Better chance of survival for people with rare cancers thanks to a new government approach to clinical trials and access to breakthrough treatments.

New ‘smart’ staff rota system aims to reduce clinician admin time, support staff wellbeing and patient care.

The Westcott Space Hub has officially been opened in Buckinghamshire. Backed by £5.8 million of UK Space Agency funding and £15 million in match funding, this facility will support small and medium-sized businesses, major industry players, academia and others in the local space ecosystem to collaborate.  

In January 2025, we responded to the government’s call for proposals to boost the UK’s economy and foster economic growth.

A serial killer who murdered five women in 2006 has pleaded guilty to murdering another teenager seven years earlier.

Dr Paul Bate will be stepping down as Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency at the end of March 2026.

Multi-million-pound package to turn the tide on ailing high streets, targeted in places most in need of support.

A report on the impact of inflation on devolved social security assistance as required under section 86A of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

A 25% national reduction in Core Education across prisons, revealed by the Government in its response to a Justice Committee report, ‘risks jeopardising’ rehabilitation efforts, MPs have warned.

Nigel Brokenshire re-elected as chair and Alex Eavis re-elected as vice-chair of the techUK Life Sciences Working Group.

Overview of current bluetongue cases, risk level, vaccinations and restrictions.

An ex-footballer who used his club’s name as the password for an encrypted phone with which he made drug deals worth half a million pounds, was yesterday, 2 February jailed for nine years.

Blog posted by: Law Enforcement Data Programme team, 2 February 2026 – Continuous improvement, Data, Transformation, User centred design.

Wales will join all UK nations in taking part in the National Year of Reading 2026, to inspire people to have a lifelong love of reading.

Foreign Secretary statement on the fifth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.

Billions of pounds worth of export and investment deals for the UK have been secured, as the Prime Minister wraps up his visit to China.

The security of key military sites will be strengthened as Defence personnel will be given stronger powers to defeat drones near bases as part of new measures being introduced in the Armed Forces Bill.

Young people are set to benefit from TV and film industry support for the Government’s Youth Guarantee.

£90 million investment to tackle economic inactivity.

UK Home Secretary Mahmood presented a long-awaited police reform plan. Still at the starting line, here is what the plans entail – and what they do not.

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Micklegate Ecclesiastical Trust.

The government had accepted advice on eligibility from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for the RSV vaccination programme.

Investigators at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) are to receive specialist training to identify “hidden” signs of controlling and coercive behaviour, including cases involving pet or animal abuse.

More than 200,000 potholes on more than 400 miles of road surfacing have been fixed or prevented throughout Wales since April last year.