The Treasury has confirmed plans to hike the minimum wage to £9.50 an hour for adults aged 23 and over to the BBC today.
The move will officially be announced by the Chancellor as part of his Autumn budget statement on Wednesday 27 October, following months of promises and speculation.
At the top end, this means that the minimum wage for adults 23 is now set to rise by 59p per hour.
Workers aged 21-22, meanwhile, are currently paid £8.35 but as part of the new increases, their hourly rate will go up to £9.18. However, 16-17 year olds will only see an increase of 19p whilst for 18-20 year olds the minimum mandated hourly rate will go up by just 27p.
And at the bottom end of the scale, apprentices – who are currently paid just under half of the top minimum wage benchmark – will see their hourly rate increase by 51p per hour.
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak said when announcing the increase: “This is a government that is on the side of working people. This wage boost ensures we’re making work pay and keeps us on track to meet our target to end low pay by the end of this Parliament.”
Labour, meanwhile, is calling for a minimum wage rise of £10 – despite its unions and members calling for it to increase to £15 an hour.
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Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the treasury, said: “This underwhelming offer works out at £1,000 a year less than Labour’s existing plans for a minimum wage of at least £10 per hour for people working full-time.
“Much of it will be swallowed up by the Government’s tax rises, universal credit cuts and failure to get a grip on energy bills.
“It’s clear that Labour is the only party serious about improving the prospects of working people.”
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The national minimum wage, also sometimes known as the national living wage, is set by the Westminster government and functions to tell employers the minimum hourly rate that they can legally pay employees aged over 23.
There is also something called the real living wage, which is a voluntary rate of pay employers can choose to give their staff.
NHS urgently needs 500,000 men to take part in ‘major’ cancer research programme
Emily Sergeant
Half a million men are needed to take part in a ‘major’ cancer research programme.
From this week, the NHS has announced that it will begin contacting 500,000 men to invite them to join a major research programme that will work to improve the vital early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
Men who have had or are living with prostate cancer will receive letters and text messages explaining how they can register to take part.
It’s hoped that this will become one of the world’s largest prostate cancer studies.
Formally named ‘Prostate Progress’, the study is designed to speed up the development of better tests, treatments, and care – with the NHS aiming to recruit as many participants as possible to improve how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated, as well as understanding the side effects of treatment and the impact they have on quality of life.
The NHS urgently needs 500,000 men to take part in a ‘major’ cancer research programme / Credit: rawpixel
Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, with around 60,000 new cases diagnosed every year and over 12,000 deaths annually.
Men who join ‘Prostate Progress’ will be asked to complete questionnaires about their experiences of living with the disease every few months.
Verified researchers will then be able compare men’s experiences of living with prostate cancer against their NHS records – including their symptoms and quality of life.
The NHS says it is ‘particularly keen’ to hear from black men for the programme, as they are at approximately twice the risk of developing prostate cancer – with around one in four black men in the UK expected to be diagnosed during their lifetime.
“Better representation will help researchers understand and address differences in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes,” the NHS said in a statement.
“Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK,” explained Health Minister, James Frith. “Every piece of data we gather brings us closer to the tests and treatments that future patients will depend on to live well for longer.
“Prostate Progress has the potential to become a hugely important resource, but only if men come forward and share their experiences, so I encourage anyone who receives an invitation to sign up.
“This is the kind of innovation the government’s National Cancer Plan is designed to support, making the NHS a world-leading destination for cancer research and ensuring patients across the country can help shape the treatments of tomorrow.”
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Police charge and name man after broad daylight stabbing of 19-year-old in Northern Quarter
Emily Sergeant
A man has been charged and publicly named after the stabbing of a teenager in the Northern Quarter last week.
Bandar Alzahar has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place, and has been remanded in custody ahead of a scheduled appearance at Manchester & Salford Magistrates Court today (Monday 3 August 2026).
The charges come after a 19-year-old man was stabbed in the Northern Quarter, in Manchester city centre, last Friday (31 July).
The shocking incident took place in broad daylight at around 12:50pm on Church Street.
After police attended the scene, they ‘quickly located’ a suspect – initially described as just being a man in his early 20s – at Manchester Airport within three hours of the incident occurring, and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault.
The victim sadly remains in hospital in a stable condition but with life-threatening injuries, police have confirmed.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are still appealing to the public for information. In a public plea, police wrote: “We are still asking for information from anyone that may have witnessed the incident on Church Street to get in touch with us.
“This includes any CCTV, mobile phone or Dashcam footage that may assist our enquiries.”
Any information can be submitted to GMP by calling 101, quoting log 1580 of 31/07/2026. Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Georgina Pellant -
25th October 2021 
