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The Times’ splash reports that ministers are weighing up plans for local lockdowns, or a delay to the planned easing of restrictions, on 21 June amid concern over the Indian variant. Under one proposal, modelled on last year’s Tier 4 restrictions, the paper says people would be advised to stay at home and non-essential retail and hospitality would be closed if the variant wasn’t brought under control. An alternative plan, focused on a delay to the June unlocking, would see grants handed out to the worst-hit sectors such as nightclubs and for large events like festivals. A source tells the paper that local lockdowns could lead to a “patchwork” of restrictions across the country that people would ignore.

Times Front Page 8th of December 2025

Ministers plan to require all employers to give staff Whitehall‑drafted guidance encouraging union membership under the Employment Rights Bill. It would set out benefits and contact routes, seek to curb anti‑union practices and be shaped by consultation on implementation and enforcement.

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Times Front Page 6th of December 2025

Baroness Falkner, former EHRC chair, says Labour has let women down, abandoning feminism and failing to protect single‑sex spaces after a Supreme Court ruling. She accuses ministers of delaying guidance and being slow to tackle grooming gangs, blaming internal pressures.

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Times Front Page 5th of December 2025

Household bills are set to rise as Ofgem introduces levies to fund grid and pipeline upgrades. The charges, supporting a £58bn networks programme and wider expansion, will climb over the decade, offsetting the Chancellor’s £159-a-year bill cut and reaching about £116 annually by 2030.

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Times Front Page 4th of December 2025

The health secretary has ordered an independent review into rising ADHD diagnoses and associated benefit claims. It will scrutinise assessment standards, private clinics and medication, and pressures on services. The aim is to tighten rules while protecting support for genuine need.

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