UK News

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The opening week of the Guardian’s Hope appeal has delivered a remarkable early outcome, drawing more than £200,000 from readers moved by a shared desire to support vital grassroots charities working tirelessly across the United Kingdom. The early achievement comes before the annual fundraising telethon, which is scheduled for Saturday and expected to elevate the total further as...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The Home Secretary has ordered an independent inquiry into potential vetting failures at the Metropolitan Police, amid serious concerns over the recruitment of hundreds of officers who may have joined without proper scrutiny. The move comes after revelations that up to 300 recruits hired between 2016 and 2023 may have undergone substandard or incomplete vetting processes, raising questions...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A public inquiry will examine failings at a north-east NHS trust following multiple patient deaths, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed. The announcement came during a visit to Darlington, where he met families affected by tragic incidents at hospitals run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, headquartered in County Durham. The inquiry will investigate the...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Reform UK councillors have faced sharp criticism after warnings emerged that council tax increases may be unavoidable despite their election pledges. Warwickshire county council has been advised that anything less than a 5 percent rise could threaten its financial stability, forcing difficult decisions to balance budgets. Officials warned that each one percent reduction below the maximum would require...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The NHS is preparing for its most severe winter crisis in decades as rising flu cases put hospitals under extraordinary pressure. Medical services across the country face unprecedented demand, with emergency departments, GP surgeries, and ambulance services already struggling to cope with record patient numbers. Health leaders warn that conditions are set to worsen in the coming fortnight,...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The decision requiring Metropolitan police officers to declare Freemason membership marks a significant and challenging moment for Britain’s largest force as it continues a long struggle to rebuild faith in its culture. The announcement arrives during a period of intense scrutiny around institutional practices that influence behaviour inside the organisation, with public confidence shaken by repeated scandals that...

Published: 12 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Drax has begun shaping a new chapter in its long industrial story as it moves to convert part of its North Yorkshire site into a modern datacentre by 2027. The plan signals a decisive shift for the energy company as rising demand for artificial intelligence creates pressure for greater computing capacity across the UK. The firm confirmed it...

Published: 11 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Online child sexual abuse in England and Wales has surged by 26% in just one year, alarming authorities and prompting urgent calls for stronger safeguards. Recent figures from police show that 51,672 online crimes were recorded in 2024, representing 42% of the total 122,768 child sexual exploitation offences. The rise has sparked warnings that social media companies must...

Published: 11 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The homelessness crisis in England has intensified despite the government’s repeated assurances, as the Labour administration unveils a new strategy to end the use of bed and breakfasts as emergency housing. Homelessness minister Alison McGovern promised that B&Bs would only be used in extreme emergencies and pledged to end their use entirely by the conclusion of this parliament....

Published: 11 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The quiet town of Crowborough has become the centre of a growing national debate as residents challenge a government plan to house hundreds of asylum seekers on a military training camp in east Sussex. Their legal action marks a significant moment, because it represents the first major test of mass accommodation policies to reach the high court since...