The prime minister said it was "concerning to see more children getting measles" as Enfield, north London, recorded 34 confirmed cases between 1 January and 9 February - more than one third of the 96 cases across England so far this year. According to a local GP surgery, one in five of the children infected in the recent outbreak needed hospital treatment "and all of them had not been fully immunised". At least seven schools in Enfield and Haringey have confirmed infections, with the GP surgery warning "it is spreading". On Tuesday, Sir Keir posted on X: "Vaccines are safe, effective and can be life saving. "We're urging all parents to check their children are up to date with their recommended vaccinations." He said the UK "expects its leaders to stand firmly behind science to protect our children, not to give oxygen to conspiracy theories". "Public health isn't a culture war. It's about keeping our communities safe," he added. Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can spread very easily among people - both children and adults - who are not fully vaccinated. The virus causes cold-like symptoms, a rash and spots in the mouth. While many people recover, the illness can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation and, in rare cases, long-term disability or even death. The UKHSA has warned modelling of a large-scale measles outbreak in London could lead to between 40,000 to 160,000 infections. The modelling released in a report titled "Risk assessment for measles resurgence in the UK" estimated that hospitalisation rates would range from 20% to 40% depending on age. Read more: What are the symptoms of measles - and what to do if your child is infected Britain lost its measles elimination status in 2024, with falling immunisation rates stoking fears of a widespread outbreak of the virus. Dudu Sher-Arami, Enfield's director of public health, told The Sunday Times that London had "one of the lowest, if not the lowest, vaccination uptake rates" in the country, making the capital especially vulnerable to an outbreak. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been available in the UK since 1988, with the first dose usually given to babies aged one, and a second dose at three years and four months. If either dose has been missed, you can still ask your GP for the vaccine. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, MMR vaccination rates fell to about 80% nationally after a 1998 study by British doctor Andrew Wakefield linked the vaccine to autism. The study has been discredited after he was found to have manipulated data and he was struck off the medical register - but not before the study led to lower vaccination rates globally. Since the COVID pandemic, more parents have been asking questions about vaccinations, leading to them searching the internet for answers, where there is a lot of disinformation.

From welfare cuts to a climbdown on inheritance tax for farmers, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves appear to have gone back on several manifesto pledges and promises made before they were elected. Sky News is looking at some of the biggest U-turns Labour has made since coming into power. Grooming gangs A central government-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in Oldham, requested by the council, was originally declined. Tech billionaire Elon Musk launched a series of online attacks on Sir Keir and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips over that decision - going as far as calling Ms Phillips a "witch" who should go to prison. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch joined in, calling for a national probe. The prime minister resisted calls for an inquiry for months. But in June 2025, Sir Keir announced he would follow the recommendation of Baroness Casey to hold another inquiry into grooming gangs. How the government measures debt In her budget in 2024, Ms Reeves changed the fiscal rules on how the government measures debt, allowing up to £50bn of extra borrowing. This was welcomed by many, but it wasn't in Labour's election manifesto. Back then, Ms Reeves talked more about her iron discipline with the fiscal rules. "But I can confirm today that we will be measuring debt differently," she said in October 2024, ahead of the budget. Trans rightsAfter the Supreme Court's ruling on the legal definition of a woman in April 2025, Sir Keir seemed to change his previous stance on trans rights. While in opposition, he said "a woman is a female adult, and in addition to that, trans women are women, and that is not just my view, that is actually the law". After the ruling, he simply said "a woman is a female adult, and the court has made that absolutely clear". Two-child benefit capThe cap, which was hugely unpopular among most Labour MPs, was first introduced by the Conservative government in 2017. The limit prevented parents from claiming universal credit or tax credits for more than their first two children. Ms Reeves announced that the two-child cap would be scrapped from April, a move the OBR estimates will cost £3bn by 2029-30. The government says the move will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of the Parliament, while Ms Badenoch branded Ms Reeves's autumn choices "a budget for Benefits Street, paid for by working people". State pension age - Waspi Women compensation In December 2024, the government said it would not be compensating millions of women who lost out through the changes to the state pension age. This is despite Sir Keir and Ms Reeves supporting the campaign for the Women Against State Pension Inequality - often known as Waspi women - when they were in opposition. The prime minister defended the decision, saying: "I do understand, of course, the concern of the Waspi women, but also of course I have to take into account whether it's right at the moment to impose further burden on the taxpayer, which is what it would be." Sir Keir also said the demands of the Waspi women were not affordable. It came after Liz Kendall, then work and pensions secretary, issued an apology for a 28-month delay in sending out letters to those born in the 1950s impacted by state pension changes. But she said she doesn't accept that compensation should be paid, adding that the "great majority of women knew the state pension age was increasing" and that a state-funded payout wouldn't be "fair or value for taxpayers' money". In November 2025, the possibility of U-turning this original U-turn was raised when it was announced that the decision to reject compensation would, in fact, be reconsidered by the government. Winter fuel payment cuts Dropping the benefit for all pensioners was one of the first things Labour did in government, despite it not being in their manifesto and on top of Labour, when in opposition, attacking the Tories when reports emerged that they were considering such a move. The change meant only those on pension credit or other benefits were eligible - a deeply unpopular move that was widely blamed on the party's poor performance in last year's local elections. But Sir Keir announced a U-turn on the unpopular cut to the benefit last May, with Ms Reeves later clarifying that winter fuel payments would extend to everyone over the state pension age with an income of £35,000 a year or below. The Treasury said that by setting the threshold at this income, more than three-quarters of pensioners - around nine million people - will benefit. The universal system meant some 11.4 million pensioners were in receipt of the benefit, which was slashed down to 1.5 million when the initial means test was introduced. The new threshold is above the income level of pensioners in poverty and broadly in line with average earnings, the Treasury said. Benefit cuts Last June, Sir Keir faced a significant rebellion over plans to cut sickness and disability benefits as part of a package he said would shave £5bn off the welfare bill and get more people into work. He stood by his position that the welfare system needs reform as "it doesn't work, and it traps people", but made several concessions to appease Labour MPs. The concessions included exempting existing Personal Independence Payment claimants (PIP) from the stricter new criteria, while the universal credit health top-up would only be cut and frozen for new applications. The changes came after 127 Labour MPs signed an amendment calling for the cuts to be delayed and consulted on with disabled people. Rebels feared the reforms wouldn't actually help people find work, while potentially pushing thousands of disabled people and children into poverty, all to hit an arbitrary figure chosen by the chancellor. National insurance Labour's election manifesto promised not to increase national insurance. "Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase national insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, or VAT," it read. But in the budget in 2024, Ms Reeves increased the amount businesses had to pay on their employees' national insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%, effective from April 2025. She also lowered the former £9,100 threshold at which employers start paying national insurance on employees' earnings to £5,000, in what she called a "difficult choice" to make. Ms Reeves later rejected that this was a U-turn on a manifesto promise, telling Sky News political editor Beth Rigby that the term "working people" in the manifesto referred to employees, not employers. Income tax thresholds In her latest budget, Ms Reeves extended the freeze on income tax thresholds - introduced by the Conservatives in 2021 and due to expire in 2028 - by three years. But the chancellor previously said she would not freeze thresholds as it would "hurt working people" - prompting accusations she has broken the trust of voters. The move - described by critics as a "stealth tax" - is estimated to raise £8bn for the exchequer in 2029-2030 by dragging some 1.7 million people into a higher tax band as their pay goes up. Sir Keir insisted at the time that there's been no manifesto breach, but acknowledged people were being asked to "contribute" to protect public services. He said it was "not true" that his government had misled the public after promising not to raise taxes again after 2024's budget. Sir Keir also refused to say he had broken his manifesto promise not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT "on working people". "We kept to our manifesto in terms of what we've promised," he said. Workers' rights One of the cornerstones of Labour's 2024 election manifesto was the Employment Rights Bill, as part of which it promised to introduce protection from unfair dismissal "from day one". In November, Peter Kyle announced that the qualifying period for unfair dismissal would now be six months. While this is down from the previous qualifying period of two years, it is far from the one day Labour had promised. Mr Kyle said the day one pledge faced opposition from businesses as he defended the change, insisting "compromise is strength". Another minister, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, told Sky News at the time: "Sometimes you do have to adopt some pragmatism if you want to make sure that you get the wider package through." She said there was a risk that no progress would be made on the bill if there was no compromise and said the decision was made following discussions between businesses, the TUC union and the government. Inheritance tax on farmers In a U-turn before Christmas, the government announced a huge climbdown on inheritance tax on farmers. The tax relief on family farms handed down between families is to increase from £1m to £2.5m, meaning only farms worth more than £5m will pay. The climbdown, overturning bitterly unpopular proposals in Ms Reeves's 2024 budget, follows a personal intervention by Sir Keir. The National Farmers Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw said the government backed down after he had two "very constructive meetings" with the prime minister. Responding to the climbdown, Mr Bradshaw - who led a high-profile campaign which included tractors blocking Whitehall - said it would come as a huge relief. Business rates for pubs Sky News understands that the Treasury is preparing a rescue package to provide new financial support for pubs, which is due to be announced in the coming days. The anticipated climbdown includes a change to the methodology of the business rates calculation, plus "regulatory measures", it is understood. This comes following an outcry over the impact of a major hike in business rates included in last year's budget. Ms Reeves announced a shake-up to how business rates are calculated, with a new band for retail, hospitality and leisure - bringing an end to the relief scheme first introduced in 2020 during the pandemic. The sector argued that the new business rates, while lower than before COVID, do not go far enough. They said because the tax is based on rateable property values (an official estimate of a commercial property's annual rental value), they are disproportionately affected because they have physical stores, restaurants and pubs - unlike online giants. Digital ID cards At the time it was announced last year, the government said that digital IDs would become mandatory for the right to work by the end of this parliament, which is 2029. But Sky News understands this will no longer be the case, as the government makes another U-turn. A government spokesperson said: "We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks. We have always been clear that details on the digital ID scheme will be set out following a full public consultation, which will launch shortly. "Digital ID will make everyday life easier for people, ensuring public services are more personal, joined-up, and effective, while also remaining inclusive." According to The Times, while right-to-work checks will still be mandatory, other forms of documentation, such as an electronic visa or a passport, will be valid. Mandelson files In early February, angry Labour backbenchers forced the government to release documents related to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US, after the police launched a criminal investigation into claims he passed sensitive information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The prime minister had earlier promised to release material relevant to the former Labour peer's nomination to the top diplomatic post, but initially said there would be exemptions on national security and international relations grounds. However, Sir Keir later agreed to refer the documents to the parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee after his own MPs threatened to rebel in a House of Commons vote on the plans. The committee was given permission to see all the documents relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment. Local council election delays Labour announced last year it was planning to cancel elections in 30 areas - affecting more than 4.5 million people - to overhaul English council structures. But in February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it was no longer going ahead with the plan due to "new legal advice". Reform UK had launched a legal challenge against the government, and the legal advice was in relation to that case. An MHCLG spokesman said: "Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May." The department has written to all 30 councils to confirm elections will go ahead in May.

Labour announced in December that it was planning to push the ballots from May 2026 until 2027 - affecting more than 4.5 million people - to overhaul English council structures. However, on Monday, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was no longer proceeding with the plan following legal advice, sought after a challenge brought by Reform UK against the government. Politics latest: Which councils are affected? Elections will now take place on 7 May, with a £63m fund available to help local councils across those areas reorganise their structures, with "practical support" also on offer. Mr Farage said the government had "caved" and suggested Local Government Secretary Steve Reed's job should be at risk. "It's a victory for Reform. But more importantly, it's a victory for democracy in this country," Mr Farage declared. The government has agreed to pay Reform's legal fees - something Sky News understands to be a six-figure sum. 'Months of planning time' lost Among those which had been due to miss out were city councils in Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough and Preston, alongside several districts such as Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield and West Lancashire. Polling day had also been postponed for county council voters in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Labour's U-turn, the party's 15th since coming to power in July 2024, has angered several election administrators. Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said officials and workers responsible for organising elections have "lost months of essential planning time". "These teams now face an uphill struggle to catch up to where they should be," she said. "They have paused planning to avoid unnecessary cost, but this means they are now playing catch-up." Read more from Sky News:Why Starmer has plenty to lose after U-turnBoy has UK-first surgery to make him taller Conservative councillor Richard Wright, chair of the District Councils' Network - which represents 169 English councils - said: "Council officers, councillors and local electorates will be bewildered by the unrelenting changes to the electoral timetable. "The councils affected face an unnecessary race against time to ensure elections proceed smoothly and fairly, with polling stations booked and electoral staff available." 'Impossible to plan effectively' Meanwhile, Matthew Hicks, leader of Tory-run Suffolk County Council said that local councils were experiencing "whiplash as major government decisions shift repeatedly and without warning". He added: "This uncertainty makes it almost impossible to plan effectively, deliver stability for residents, or provide clarity for our staff and partners. "There is now a significant question mark over the government's wider agenda for devolution and local government reorganisation." The leader of Labour-run Thurrock Council Lynn Worrall said it was "disappointing that this decision has been reversed so late in the day".

The jobless rate ticked up to 5.2% in December, the highest since the three months up to January 2021, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. The figure had stood at 4.1% when Labour took office in 2024, promising economic growth. More out-of-work people are now actively looking for a job, while the number of unemployed people per job vacancy is at a new post-pandemic high, the ONS said. Though there's been little change in the number of job openings over the last few months. Redundancies are also increasing, according to the ONS data. Money blog: 'I booked an emergency plumber and cancelled minutes later but was still charged' Not everyone has the same unemployment rate; those aged 18 to 24 saw their unemployment increase to 14% from 13.7%. The ONS, however, has continued to advise caution when interpreting changes in the monthly unemployment rate and job vacancy numbers over concerns about the reliability of the figures. Why is unemployment increasing? The new figures comes as more than a third of employers say they are cutting hiring due to new workers' rights, according to a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The Employment Rights Act, which became law in December, guarantees workers entitlements including parental leave and sick pay from the first day of a job. It has also become more expensive to employ staff due to the rise in employers' national insurance contributions in April. Higher minimum wages for younger workers contributed to the growth in unemployment among that cohort Catherine Mann, a senior Bank of England economist and interest rate setter, said at the weekend. Gulf in private and public sector wage growth There has also been a slowing down in the rate of pay increases and the gap between the private and public sector wage rises has remained. Average annual earnings rose 7.2% for the public sector and 3.4% for the private sector. This higher public sector figure is due to some pay rises being issued earlier in 2025 than in 2024. Overall, pay rose 4.2% in the three months to December, a fall from the 4.4%, seen a month earlier. What it means for interest rates Slower wage growth may be welcome news for the interest-rate setters at the Bank of England as high wage rises can cause overall prices to rise and make it harder to bring down inflation. Interest rates have been kept relatively high, at 3.75%, as the Bank attempts to have inflation fall to 2%. Traders now think there's a 81% chance of a rate cut in March. A further cut is now seen as likely in September which would bring the borrowing cost to 3.25%.

The Sunday Times reported that Labour Together paid £36,000 to a US public affairs firm, Apco, to examine the "backgrounds and motivations" of reporters behind a story ahead of the 2024 general election. Josh Simons, now a Cabinet Office minister, was head of Labour Together at the time Apco was paid to look into the journalists, the paper says, and so the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Ethics Team is working to establish the facts. The paper had reported that the campaign group, which was essential to getting Sir Keir elected as Labour leader, had failed to declare more than £700,000 in donations. Politics latest: Starmer announces social media crackdown The Sunday Times said Apco produced "deeply personal and false claims" about Gabriel Pogrund, its Whitehall editor. Harry Yorke, the deputy political editor, was named alongside him and the pair were deemed "persons of significant interest". They suggested the journalists might be part of a Russian conspiracy or had relied on emails hacked by the Kremlin, according to The Sunday Times. Confirming the investigation into Labour Together on Monday, Sir Keir said: "There will be a Cabinet Office investigation into the allegations. And quite right too - so, that is already in place." He added that he "didn't know anything" about the Apco investigation. "It absolutely needs to be looked into. So, the Cabinet Office will be establishing the facts," he said. Number 10 later said Sir Keir has confidence in Mr Simons. However, the Lib Dems have called for him to step down as a Cabinet Office minister during the investigation "to avoid any conflicts of interest". When the story that Apco had made claims against the journalists emerged in early February, Mr Simons posted on X: "This is nonsense. "APCO were asked to look into a suspected illegal hack, which had nothing to do with UK journalists at Sunday Times, Guardian or any other brilliant UK newspaper. "APCO's investigation never fully got to the bottom of this. "Those who know me know I think the work of journalists is vital to our democracy." Sky News has contacted Mr Simons for a comment about the government investigation being launched. Read more:Watchdog will not reopen donations probe at group led by Starmer's top aideKeir Starmer's charm offensive may not be enough to save him Editors said the accusations against the journalists were "profoundly concerning" and warned of a potential "chilling effect" across the industry. "Journalists asking questions about funding, influence or public life are not adversaries to be investigated; they are carrying out a fundamental democratic duty," Dawn Alford, chief executive of the Society of Editors, said. "The idea that reporters could themselves become the subject of intelligence-style inquiries simply for doing their jobs is profoundly troubling and sets a dangerous precedent, regardless of which political party or organisation is involved." Labour Together was fined £14,250 in September 2021 for late reporting of donations, totally £730,000 between 2017 and 2020, after referring itself to the Electoral Commission. Sky News has contacted Apco for a comment.