NEU members are taking part in a preliminary ballot to ask if they will strike over pay and funding. The union is challenging a below inflation rise in English schools, with no increased funding.

Workers in the arts continue their fight to reverse decades of cuts in government funding. The Arts and Minds Campaign is calling for arts and literature to be restored to the schools core curriculum, and fully funded.

Thames Water continues to be a burden on its customers and the public purse. Its latest financial plan agreed in the High Court drew criticism from water campaigners and trade unions.

The government has launched yet another review into social care provision. It won’t even report for three years – a disgrace after decades of indecision. The crisis in providing care needs urgent action.

Energy efficiency schemes launched in the name of the drive to net zero are creating health problems. The government has now acknowledged the wide-scale issues after complaints and media reports.

The negative impact of migration is a topic that seemingly can’t be discussed. Yet there’s a pressing need to do so, not least in relation to doctors and healthcare workers.

Water bills will rise by more than one-third over the next five years, much of it in 2025. The regulator, Ofwat, previously said that that the price rises would far less. Unions and campaign groups have condemned the move.

The government proposes to return most passenger rail services to public ownership. This will not necessarily improve services. Key areas are left out, so the industry will remain fragmented.

The government has announced a public sector pay rise of 2.8 per cent for 2025. Unions have denounced this as a cut in real pay. They are gearing up for a fight on pay again.