Politics latest: 'Heavy price for failure' if it is not fixed, health secretary says as shadow minister insists Tories did not 'break' NHS

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Labour has decided it's fine to be unpopular for the moment

In the same way that Labour bosses divided the party's time in opposition into distinct sections - change the party, attack the Tories, advance the solutions - the first phase of the Starmer government is becoming increasingly clear to see.

As with the economy and prisons before the summer break, this week will see ministers set out the scale of the crisis in the NHS in the starkest and most eye-catching terms, before once again pointing the finger of blame firmly at the previous Conservative administration.

Much like the accusations that "the Tories broke the economy" and "the Tories broke the prison system", the charge that "the Tories broke the NHS" captures much to be believed while also being a somewhat simplistic and very political message.

Read more of Rob's analysis here.

TUC head has 'real concerns' about winter fuel payment cut

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has been speaking on the first day of the group's conference in Brighton.

He accused the former Conservative governments of leaving more than four million people "trapped in jobs that offer them little or no security".

New research by the TUC published this morning found UK workers were "cheated out of" £2 billion worth of holiday pay last year - which he called a "national scandal".

The TUC is backing the government's employment rights bill, which Mr Nowak said "will deliver new rights and beef up labour market enforcement".

He added that most employers play by the rules and do what they can to give staff the security they need to make them "happier, healthier and more productive".

"Unfortunately, there is still a small but vocal minority of bosses who are fixated with continuing a race to the bottom, who refuse to play by the rules, and who seem hellbent on treating their staff like a disposable, throwaway commodity," he told the conference.

While he heaped praise on the government for wanting to improve employment rights, he said he has "real concerns" about the winter fuel payment cut.

But, he said he hopes the chancellor will provide "proper support" for pensioners in this autumn's budget.

He added that questions need to be asked about how the government will make those with the broadest shoulders "pay their fair share", as it has pledged.