Thirty-two UK government websites were taken offline after a PHP coding flaw was discovered, but a senior cyber security official confirmed there are "no indications" the vulnerability was successfully exploited by hackers. The precautionary takedown is notable less for what happened than for what it reveals: a digital estate where a single code-level flaw can cascade across dozens of public-facing services simultaneously. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting used the moment to call for a broader national conversation about resilience against "state-sponsored terrorism" targeting everyday infrastructure. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh all but confirmed that the abolition of gas standing charges will feature in next Wednesday's budget. She told a press gallery lunch that PM Andy Burnham had instructed her and Chancellor John Healey to "look at it and come back with an answer," dismissing departmental timelines of a 10-year consultation. According to Nesta research, 64% of dual-fuel households would benefit from shifting standing charge costs into the unit rate, saving the typical household £27 per year. The threshold where bills would increase is around 12,400 kWh — above what most homes consume. Fahnbulleh acknowledged that low-income, high-usage households would need mitigation. YouGov polling paints a striking picture of coalition preferences. A Labour/Lib Dem coalition under Burnham commands 42% support — the most popular option tested. Other progressive configurations with Burnham as PM attract more than a third of voters. A Conservative/Reform UK coalition musters only about 25%, with Badenoch-led and Farage-led versions polling near-identically. Perhaps most telling: 68% of current Tory supporters prefer coalition with the Lib Dems over Reform UK (60%), even as Badenoch has spent months aligning Conservative policy with Reform on immigration, Brexit, and the ECHR. The Farage drag is accelerating. Net support for a Farage-led Reform-Tory coalition has dropped from -27 to -41 since December. Even among 2024 Conservative voters, support has swung from +5 to -13. Badenoch-led versions have also shed 15 points, though they remain net positive among Tory voters at +23. Reform voters themselves have warmed to a Badenoch-led arrangement, with net support doubling to +22 — but this is not reciprocated. In a moment of cross-party grace, Conservative equalities spokesperson Joy Morrissey paid tribute to Diane Abbott during a black history month debate. Morrissey recalled Abbott's arrival in 1987 as Britain's first black female MP, noting she "faced more abuse than almost any politician of her generation" and "never stopped turning up." Communities Minister Florence Eshalomi spoke of watching Abbott on television as a six-year-old and the "quiet hope" it gave her. Abbott was not in the chamber. Burnham received his flu jab as the Department of Health launched a winter vaccination campaign. Health Minister James Frith urged all eligible groups — children under 17, older adults, and those with long-term conditions — to come forward, framing vaccines as both personal protection and NHS capacity management.
