National News

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to their website.

• Family of Gordon McQueen in plea to make football safer after his death

  Football must do more to protect players, the family of ex-Scotland defender Gordon McQueen said after an inquest found that heading the ball was “likely” to have contributed to a brain injury which was a factor in his death.

• Nigella Lawson to replace Dame Prue Leith on Great British Bake Off

  Nigella Lawson will replace Dame Prue Leith as a judge on the Great British Bake Off, it has been announced.

• Former Tory home secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK

  Former home secretary Suella Braverman said she felt she had “come home” as she confirmed her defection to Reform UK.

• Action needed to improve growth of UK towns and cities

  Warrington, Bristol, Barnsley and Brighton buck the national trend of slow growth in living standards since 2013

• Bowel Cancer Thousands more to be checked

  NHS England changes bowel screening in bid to pick up more cases early

• Desk job Bobbies heading back out on the beat

  Home Secretary pledges faster police response and less red tape in major reforms

• Leaders Arsenal fall to resurgent United

  Gunners lead stays at four points as new boss Carrick wins again

• Burnham blocked from MP battle

  Key Labour committee bars him from standing in by-election

• Starmer will face pressure to go if Labour does badly in May polls Welsh FM

  The Labour First Minister of Wales has not ruled out the possibility that Sir Keir Starmer could be ejected from Downing Street before the end of the year.

• Charles pleased and proud of Kings Trust work on 50th anniversary

  The King has spoken of his pride in the charity he founded 50 years ago which aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK.

• British FBI to take over counter terror and fraud probes under police reforms

  Counter-terror, fraud and criminal gang investigations are set to be taken over by a new national police force dubbed the “British FBI” under major policing reforms.

• Trump says UK soldiers in Afghanistan were among the greatest of all warriors

  Donald Trump has said UK soldiers who fought in Afghanistan were “among the greatest of all warriors” after previously drawing criticism for his claims Nato troops stayed away from the front lines during the conflict.

• Burnham says he plans to stand in by election

  Andy Burnham has announced that he intends to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election, setting up a potential return to Westminster for the Greater Manchester mayor.

• Trump remarks about British troops insulting and appalling Starmer says

  Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Donald Trump’s remarks about British troops in Afghanistan were “insulting and frankly appalling” and signalled the US President should apologise.

• Husband pleads guilty to drugging and raping ex wife over 13 years

  A husband has admitted drugging and raping his now ex-wife over a 13-year period.

• Health Secretary promises improved cancer care in deprived areas

  Wes Streeting vows to end the postcode lottery of cancer care with more training and technology

• Increase in workers on a four day week research shows

  More than 50 organisations employing over 1,400 workers moved to a four-day working week in 2025, according to new figures.

• Late Queens strong and complex personality to feature in national memorial

  An acclaimed artist, known for her depictions of Second World War heroines, is to design a sculpture “portraying the strong and complex personality” of Queen Elizabeth II as part of the national memorial to the late monarch.

• Asylum seekers moved into military barracks amid pressure to end hotel use

  The first asylum seekers have been moved into a former military barracks in East Sussex as ministers face pressure to end the use of hotels.

• Ex Labour minister says he is standing down as MP for medical reasons

  A former Labour minister has announced he will stand down as an MP for medical reasons, paving the way for a potential Westminster return for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

• Jessie Buckley scores Oscar nomination while Sinners makes history with 16 nods

  Irish actress Jessie Buckley has been nominated for an Oscar, while vampire drama Sinners has made history as the first film to score 16 nods.

• Keir Starmer and Danish PM discuss vital steps towards Arctic security

  Sir Keir Starmer said he will discuss how to “take the vital steps” towards strengthened security in the Arctic with Denmark’s prime minister, who thanked him for the UK’s support during “quite a difficult time” for the country amid Donald Trump’s demands to annex its semi-autonomous territory Greenland.

• Harry returns to court after giving evidence in trial against Mail publisher

  The Duke of Sussex has returned to a court in London for the fourth day of the trial of his legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

• One in four children starting reception not toilet trained survey finds

  Around one in four children who started reception in 2025 were not toilet trained, a survey of teachers has found, amid warnings more children are struggling with basic life skills.

• Sean Bean to host birdwatching podcast

  Hollywood star Sean Bean is to host an award-winning podcast for birdwatchers.