With the colder months now well and truly upon us, a local campaigner is calling on the UK government to scrap VAT on energy bills across the country.
The nation is still in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, and besides grocery shopping, business rates and eating out still climbing, one of the biggest hits to the wallet continues to be at home, thanks to the cost of gas and electricity.
With that in mind, and as we approach the ever-challenging festive period when purse strings feel tighter than ever, industry expert and Bolton-born entrepreneur Corin Dalby is making a fresh push for crucial aid and urging Brits to put digital pen to paper.
Sharing the petition link on social media – which has been taken up by more than 42,000 people online – Dalby is asking others who believe domestic residents deserve a much-needed let-off to sign the Change.org document and help scrap VAT on energy bills in the UK.
Introducing himself and the idea in the description beneath the petition, the Greater Manchester native writes: “My name is Corin Dalby, and last year I successfully campaigned for hospices in the UK to receive an extra £100 million of government funding, with the support of 37,254 signatures.
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“Now I’m calling on the Government to axe the 5% VAT we are all forced to pay on our energy bills.”
Dalby, 56, is the co-founder and CEO of non-profit energy company, Box Power CIC (community interest company), and has seen significant money from FCA fines go towards palliative care facilities since December last year.
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Pointing out that the current energy secretary and former Prime Ministerial candidate, Ed Miliband, has previously hinted that his party would be open to this possibility, he goes on to add: “It’s vital that we hold them to this, to bring some much-needed relief to millions of households.”
While the initial goal aligned with the hope of getting enough signatures to put this bill forward in time for the most recent Labour budget (revealed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, 26 November), the initiative could still provide vital support this winter – especially for those worst off.
As mentioned, the 2025 autumn statement has now been shared publicly following some early leaks, and despite including positives like a lift on minimum wage, as well as benefit increases, there have been much bigger reactions to aspects such as the hits being taken by pensioners and more.
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The 2025 autumn budget has been largely underpinned by raising taxes by an estimated £26 billion.
If anything, the announcement has made the plea from Dalby and those in agreement more poignant than ever – and there are, indeed, plenty of people in his camp.
Sharing his most recent update back in October on social media, Corin said: “Overjoyed to see 20,000 signatures in just 3 hours.
“Scrapping the 5% VAT will directly save every hospice [an area he’s already successfully advocated for in the past], house and care home in the country, so who will help us to knock this out of the park and help the most vulnerable in our country and quickly smash 100,000?
“If you wish to help make a difference, please support this petition by just adding your name and [circulating] to like-minded contacts and repost this if possible.”
If you agree with the petition, you can sign via the official Change.org link right HERE.
Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer
Daisy Jackson
Ambitions plans to build a tunnel beneath the Peak District to connect Manchester and Sheffield has moved a step closer.
The proposed tunnel, which could completely transform travel between the two cities, has received a major £500,000 funding boost.
Picture the Eurostar, but plonk it going across the Pennines instead of London to Paris.
If it all goes ahead, journeys between South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester would be much quicker and easier, cutting times by up to 30 minutes, The Sheff reports.
The whopping £500,000 funding has been secured by infrastructure group Future Works, which is behind the proposed Trans-Pennine Connect scheme.
The money will be used to carry out technical and environmental feasibility studies to establish whether the project could actually go ahead.
The plans would see a 14-mile dual-carriageway tunnel built underneath the Peak District, potentially running between Langsett in South Yorkshire and Hollingworth or Tintwistle in Greater Manchester.
Michael Dnes, Future Works co-founder, said: “We’re very excited to be working with UK Dynamism Fund to unlock the next stage of our project.
“This funding will let us complete the technical and environmental feasibility studies needed to get the right outcomes for people and the Peak District as we deliver better transport connections across the Pennines.”
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has previously voiced his support for the proposals, describing them as a “really exciting opportunity”.
Speaking at a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority meeting back in September, he said: “We all know the frustrations of travelling between two of the North’s biggest and best cities.”
He also stressed that any plans would need to take environmental considerations very seriously, particularly the impact on wildlife in the Peak District.
The project is still in very early stages, and the funding doesn’t indicate that planning has been approved. We’ll keep you updated with any updates as and when we know.
So, what do you make of this proposal? Would you be keen for a drive through the tunnel?
Town just outside Greater Manchester named one of UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s happiest places to live for 2026 have been named, and a town just outside Greater Manchester is in the top 10.
Just as it has done for the last 14 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.
This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, where do we have in the top 10 then?
Well, Skipton in North Yorkshire – last year’s winner – only ranked seventh in this year’s study, making way for Richmond upon Thames in London to take the coveted stop spot, but looking a little further down the list, you’ll find the Lancashire town of Chorley in sixth place.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
The UK’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Richmond upon Thames
Harrogate
Cirencester
Monmouth
Hove
Chorley
Skipton
Llandrindod Wells
Horsham
Hexham
With a deep legacy rooted in the Industrial Revolution, Chorley is now a popular place to live full of amenities, good local schooling options, and convenient transport links – with an average property price of £234,387, and average rent costing £1,011 per month.
When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, two Greater Manchester towns made it into the region’s top five, Stockport at number two and Altrincham following right behind at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Danny Jones -
26th November 2025 
