Of course the BBC and most other news outlets may not be interested in featuring these positive British news stories but we certainly are.
Keep checking in with the Conservative Post to see good news every day – the resurgence of British manufacturing, how our military is flying the flag across the world, positive policy making, global trade deals, our wonderful royals and many other things to be proud of.
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Here are our 20 best read and most shared positive stories from just this week (29th January – 4th February 2024):
20. Veterans card rolled out to streamline access to services
Thousands of Armed Forces veterans can now apply for their HM Armed Forces Veteran Card following the launch of the service. The Veteran Card will provide veterans with a clear recognition of service, a tangible link to the Armed Forces, and allow them to easily verify their veteran status to access support and services from government, charities, and local authorities… click here
19. Government backs SMEs across the UK with new Help to Grow campaign and small business council
The Government has this week reaffirmed its commitment to all the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses, with the creation of a new Small Business Council due to launch next month which will bring together SME leaders from across the country. Almost every business in the country is a small business (99.9%) who in turn support 27 million jobs across the UK, accounting for £4.5 trillion of annual turnover… click here
18. New framework to support trainee and early career teachers
The Department for Education has this week announced a new framework which will help ensure high quality teaching and improve pupil outcomes. The new initial teacher training and early career framework combines and updates the initial teacher training core content framework and the early career framework. It will ensure that all new teachers receive three or more years of training underpinned by the best available evidence… click here
17. UK tech firm secures landmark financing to meet growing demand from Silicon Valley clients
UKEF has announced a guarantee for up to $100 million of new support to help a Northern Ireland tech firm meet growing international demand for its products and services. Banbridge-based EOS IT Holdings expects to invest in more equipment and create 100 jobs in Northern Ireland. The announcement also follows the Northern Ireland Investment Summit, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade… click here
16. England pull off incredible victory beating India by 28 runs in first Test
England’s win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad this week was hailed as one of their “greatest ever” and gives them a 1-0 lead in the five-match cricket series. England beat India by 28 runs in the first cricket Test as Tom Hartley took seven wickets on his debut. Star performances from Hartley achieving a seven-wicket haul and Ollie Pope scoring an incredible 196 runs in his second innings… click here
15. Digital prescriptions go live in NHS App
Millions of people are now able to use the NHS App to view their prescriptions for the first time from this week. Following a successful trial last year involving over a million users, NHS England is adding the new service to the app which will allow patients to see when their prescriptions have been issued and view their prescribed medication… click here
14. Royal School of Artillery soldiers fire UK’s powerful new Archer howitzers for first time
Soldiers from the British Army’s Royal School of Artillery are learning what it takes to operate the new Archer Mobile Howitzers. The Archer is designed to ‘shoot and scoot’ meaning British soldiers will be able to open fire on a target then quickly move to a new location before being hit by counter-battery fire or enemy ground attack aircraft. Last year the first 14 Archer artillery systems will purchased by the British Army… click here
13. £15 million boost for cultural venues to level up access to the arts across England
Cultural venues big and small are set to benefit from a £15 million boost as part of the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, which continues to level up access to the arts across the country. The funding will help create local job opportunities and new training places while supporting local cultural institutions as they look to attract tourists and new businesses, helping to grow the economy… click here
12. 20,000 more young people to access new and renovated youth clubs
Young people in villages, towns and cities across England are set to benefit from 140 new or refurbished youth centres thanks to the largest funding round to date from the Government’s Youth Investment Fund. Totalling more than £90 million, funding announced this week, will support nearly 20,000 more young people per year to access new state of the art facilities such as workshop spaces, sports halls, art rooms, recording studios and skateparks… click here
11. New social housing reforms to crack down on rule breakers
An overhaul of how social housing is allocated, to make the system fairer and not available to those who abuse it, was announced by the Government this week. Measures which could ban those who blight communities and repeatedly make their neighbours’ lives hell through anti-social behaviour or evict them through a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, are part of the new consultation. At the same time, new measures will prioritise households who have a close connection to the UK… click here
10. UK sets global standard as online abusers, trolls and predators face fleet of tough new jailable offences
Abusers, trolls, and predators online now face a fleet of tough new jailable offences from this week, as offences for ‘cyberflashing’, sending death threats, and ‘epilepsy-trolling’ are written into the statute book after the Online Safety Act gained Royal Assent. These new criminal offences will protect people from a wide range of abuse and harm online, including threatening messages, the non-consensual sharing of… click here
9. UK Infrastructure Bank provides £200 million boost to gigafactory in the North East of England
The UK Infrastructure Bank has announced a £200 million loan to support the development of AESC’s gigafactory in the North East of England, helping to strengthen the UK’s electric vehicle supply chain and providing a boost to the regional economy. The bridging loan will support the construction of the 15.8GWh gigafactory in Sunderland, which started in 2022. The project will create and support more than 1,000 jobs once operational… click here
8. UK and Greece bolster trade and security cooperation
“From tackling illegal migration to our efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and war in Ukraine, our partnership with Greece is stronger than ever.” Minister for Europe Leo Docherty has met Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou in London this week to review progress on the Strategic Bilateral Framework. Minister Docherty “reinforced the importance of deepening cooperation between the UK and Greece” as he hosted the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister in London… click here
7. 5000 apply for British machinery giant JCB’s leading apprenticeship program
“Last year we had more than 5,000 applicants for the programme which shows not only how keen young people are to pursue the apprenticeship route, but also how much they value the opportunity to build a career with a globally recognised brand such as JCB.” JCB apprentices are set to share their on-the-job training experience as part of a live broadcast across the UK… click here
6. UK and Canada sign science and innovation agreements to unlock new advances
The UK and Canada have signed a dual set of agreements which cements their collaboration on science and innovation, while also laying out a new agreement on AI compute – one of the fundamental building blocks which sits at the heart of how AI is used and developed. Signed by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Canadian Minister for Innovation, Science, and Industry François-Phillippe Champagne the MoU is the latest step in the two countries’ efforts to collaborate on AI research and development… click here
5. Confidence rising in UK construction industry
The latest UK Construction Monitor says confidence is rising in the UK construction sector helped by the prospect of falling interest rates over the course of the coming year. The latest (Q4 2023) UK Construction Monitor has presented a more optimistic picture as to the state of the industry helped by the prospect of falling interest rates over the course of the coming year… click here
4. MADE IN UK: Commercial vehicle exports drive production in best year since 2010
UK commercial vehicle (CV) production increased by 18.5% in 2023 with 120,357 vans, trucks, taxis, buses and coaches leaving factory lines, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Output reached its highest level in 13 years as global supply chain issues and pandemic-related challenges eased, allowing manufacturing to get back on track. Growth in both export and domestic markets, up 25.8% and 7.4% respectively in 2023… click here
3. UK security boosted with £2 billion contract ensuring resilience of British naval assets
UK security will be boosted through a vast new contract – worth nearly £2 billion – that will ensure the long-term availability and resilience of critical assets used by Royal Navy ships and submarines over the next 15 years. Announced by Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, on his first visit to His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport, the Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team (MSET) contract with Thales UK will aim to provide full availability of the equipment that is the eyes and ears of the Royal Navy… click here
2. Team GB’s most successful winter event on record winning FOUR GOLDS at Winter Youth Olympic Games
The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games ended this week bringing 13 days of incredible sporting action to a close in South Korea. Gangwon 2024 was officially Team GB’s most successful winter event on record, with the team winning six medals, four being gold, a silver and a bronze. British alpine skier Zak Carrick-Smith, who is the son of four-time Olympian Emma Carrick-Anderson, set the Games off to a great start for Team GB winning two gold medals and one silver to make him Britain’s most successful winter athlete ever… click here
1. BREXIT: UK avoids huge 120 billion euro debt created by EU’s large borrowing programmes
“That is more than £4000 for every UK family of extra debt we have avoided by leaving the EU.” The EU in 2020 made a momentous decision. With the UK no longer having voice or vote to oppose, they decided to go ahead with large borrowing programmes at EU level. Germany was reluctant to see the EU become a transfer and collective borrowing union but was persuaded to let it pass. Prior to 2020 the EU had borrowed just €30 billion in its own name. Now it has borrowed €400 billion… click here
For last week’s top 20 Great British news stories (22nd – 28th January 2024) click here.
By Claire Bullivant
Conservative Post, Founder and Editor
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