Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Arthritis UK, said: 

“The findings of this survey show a shocking percentage of people with MSK conditions experience chronic pain.”  

“The HSE survey found one in four people in England report having chronic pain and 39% of these people also had an MSK condition. The survey also paints a stark picture of health inequalities, with links between deprivation and chronic pain.”  

“In recent years, Arthritis UK has worked hard for musculoskeletal conditions – and the chronic pain they cause – to be recognised as a public health issue. Public health decisions must be informed by robust, reliable data. In the face of this lack of data, the charity has again funded the inclusion of questions in Health Survey for England to understand the scale and impact chronic pain is having on the population.” 

“The survey also provides yet more evidence for why MSK conditions and chronic pain need to be prioritised by the UK Government. We are therefore calling for a national framework for MSK to ensure the NHS 10 Year Plan commitments become a reality for the millions of people living in pain due to arthritis and other MSK conditions.”

Today, Arthritis UK and Ampersand Health launch the improved My Arthritis app, designed to help people living with arthritis better manage their condition and wellbeing.

With around 10 million people in the UK living with a form of arthritis, My Arthritis is a free, expert-led self-management app designed to allow people with arthritis to track symptoms including specific pain points, monitor lifestyle factors, and build long-term plans for better health.

Developed with the expertise of leading rheumatologists and focused on whole-person health, it offers digital support content, medication reminders, and personalised insights to help manage flares, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life.

The app also follows a ‘clinician in the loop’ model and is available on license to NHS Trusts, keeping doctors informed so they can spot changes early, adjust treatment if needed, and stay connected without extra appointments.

My Arthritis has been developed in partnership with clinical experts and people with lived experience of arthritis to deliver evidence-based, targeted interventions to help guide patients towards living well. It supports individuals from symptom onset and diagnosis through to long-term wellness, providing the tools to understand and manage their arthritis more effectively.

Without these courses, I don’t know how I would have managed. They remain a vital resource I turn to for reinforcement and guidance.

My Arthritis app user, Willy, who is living with rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis UK is the leading arthritis charity providing information, education and support services, as well as funding world-class research and campaigning on the issues which matter most to people living with arthritis.

Zoe Chivers, Director of Services at Arthritis UK, says:

“Managing arthritis isn’t just about medication: it’s about understanding the condition and making daily choices that support wellbeing. That’s why we are proud to announce My Arthritis; a free, expert-led self-management app for tracking your symptoms, monitoring lifestyle factors, and building long-term plans for better health.

“We know that providing the right information, education and support in the right format and at the right time, can make an enormous difference to people’s ability to manage their condition and improve their quality of life.

“We are delighted to partner with Ampersand Health on this life-changing clinical tool which we hope will help many more people with arthritis live happier and healthier lives.”

Nader Alaghband, CEO of Ampersand Health, says:

“We are delighted to partner with Arthritis UK to offer more meaningful, patient-centred solutions for people living with arthritis.

“This partnership exemplifies how collaboration between digital health innovators and patient charities can drive real change in the way long-term conditions are managed.”

My Arthritis is available to download for free via the App Store or Google Play Store, or via the website

The UK chemical industry, a cornerstone of the nation’s manufacturing base and a critical enabler of sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to defence, continues to face intense cost pressures as many businesses fight to survive.  Already struggling to compete opposite crippling energy and carbon reduction costs and broader post-Brexit regulatory uncertainty in a low-demand world, the Gulf conflict has added to the list of challenges in the form of even higher energy prices, an increase in raw material costs and a widespread pause on trade and investment decisions.  

The latest quarterly business survey from the Chemical Industries Association shows 88% of reporting rising raw material prices, alongside 85% facing higher import costs and 80% higher export costs, with energy costs also increasing for a significant majority (68%).

Chief Executive of the Association Steve Elliott said:

“As a country we may be at the mercy of many global affairs, but we can and should manage our own domestic policy framework. For more than a decade, UK government policy has ensured that UK chemical businesses have been paying far more for their energy than almost every other competitor nation. Today our gas continues to be four times more expensive than in America and we have the highest industrial electricity prices of anywhere in Europe. These are not global headwinds, these are UK policy decisions taken by successive governments. Almost thirty site closures and the thousands of job losses in five years ought to be evidence enough of the need to change direction”. He added: “thankfully there is still some brilliant, first-class, world-beating innovation and production happening right here in the UK – underpinning our critical national infrastructure; our growth sectors and our ability to deliver a net zero future – but it is fast disappearing, and, as we outlined in our early March letter to the Prime Minister, action is needed urgently to reverse this decline.”

Léa Charbonnier, Economist at CIA, said:

“Our survey also found that for the next quarter cost pressures would increase with facing even higher energy costs, 78% higher raw material prices, 78% higher importing costs, and 76% higher exporting costs. These numbers will not sustain current investment in the UK, let alone attract any for the future. The survey showed expectations for the rest of 2026 were equally pessimistic. Asked to look a year out, anticipated increases across a range of costs were predicted: raw material prices was the view of 83% of companies, importing (82%), exporting (80%), and energy (79%).”

Steve Elliott concluded:

“With chemical industry output falling by 60% in 2025 (more than any other major manufacturing sector) our messaging to Government could not be more straightforward.  We need urgent, coordinated action, through the framework of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, delivering:

• internationally competitive energy prices
• a carbon reduction timeline and targeted support to incentivise decarbonisation and the route to net zero 2050
• a broader regulatory framework that provides long term certainty and supports growth and investment”

The headquarters of Derby City Council in Derbyshire (Rob Atherton/Alamy)

3 min read8 min

England’s system of governance is complex, layered – and rooted in communities themselves.

At the heart of that system sit parish and town councils. Nearly 100,000 councillors across 10,000 councils, invest more than £2bn each year in the places they serve. As a parish councillor myself in the North West of England and chair of the National Association of Local Councils (Nalc), I see first hand the impact this hyperlocal tier of government makes – and its potential if fully embraced and realised.

That is why Nalc has been closely engaged with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Its ambition – to deliver simpler, faster and more consistent devolution – is understandable. Local government in England does need to change. And the first tier of local government must be part of that renewal.

Many amendments aimed at recognising and cementing parish and town councils within this new framework are welcome, particularly regarding neighbourhood governance, which is why Nalc has strongly supported them. But government resistance to going further risks missing a crucial opportunity. If devolution is to work, it must work all the way down. This matters more than ever. Fewer unitary authorities will mean fewer elected representatives. Parish and town councils can and should help bridge that democratic gap – but only if they are properly recognised, resourced and empowered.

That requires growth in both number and scale, backed by targeted investment from local and strategic authorities as well as national government. It requires parish and town councils to be at the heart of any neighbourhood arrangements, meaning both area working of unitary authorities and the default model for neighbourhood governance structures.

And it also requires smarter devolution. Too often, power is transferred in the guise of assets and responsibilities – but without the funding or support needed to sustain them. A more balanced approach is needed, one that values the long-term social, environmental and economic benefits of community ownership that parish and town councils provide. And a genuine resetting and rewiring of relations between the tiers of local government.

It also means strengthening local democracy itself. Parish and town councils need the tools to be more inclusive, representative and open, building upon ways they already involve and engage communities and by embracing new approaches to participation, such as community assemblies and participatory budgeting. A greater focus on capacity building and training is also required.

Too often, power is transferred in the guise of assets and responsibilities — but without the funding or support needed to sustain them

Devolution will only succeed if it works at every level. The question now is whether this moment will be seized, to fully recognise and resource that potential, or whether the gap between communities and decision making will grow wider still.

The English Devolution Bill is not the only test. The Representation of the People Bill now before the Commons could also be a game-changer – widening participation, diversifying candidates and revitalising grassroots democracy. But its promise will only be realised through practical reform: simpler nominations, digital tools, remote meetings, fairer election costs and stronger support for those hyperlocal heroes who step to serve. The upcoming King’s Speech is also a chance to bring forward other legislation needed to enhance and empower local democracy further, such as strengthening the standards regime. 

At Nalc, we will continue working with parliamentarians to ensure parish and town councils are not an afterthought – but strive to reach their potential and are the foundation of England’s democratic future. 

Cllr Iain Hamilton is chair of the National Association of Local Councils 

At the end of last year we noted the unusual and persistent levels of divergence in Scottish political polling. As polls have become much more frequent during the election campaign, nothing about that has changed. The final polls, published yesterday, are so far apart from each other that they tell us basically zip.

Analysing this mess is meaningless, so we’ll just give you some highlights.

On the constituency vote the SNP are in either the low 30s or the low 40s, either 12 points ahead of Labour, 20 points ahead of Labour, or 24 points ahead of Reform.

On the list they’re either 1 ahead of Reform, 8 ahead of them, or 13 ahead of Labour.

The Greens are either in 3rd, 4th or 6th place on the list, where they’re either 1, 2 or a whopping 12 points behind Reform. The Lib Dems are either 6th with 8%, or 4th with 12% (which is a non-trivial 50% more, arithmetic lovers). Reform have either more than twice as much support as the Tories (22-10), or just four points more (17-13).

That 10% would likely get the Tories one list seat per region, whereas the 13% might well get them twice as many. Similar applies to the Lib Dems, whose low of 8% definitely wouldn’t get them more than one seat per region, but whose high of 12% could – with luck and a following wind – just about double that.

The Greens’ lowest list score (10%) would garner one seat per region, but their highest (17%) would all but guarantee two per region and could conceivably get them as many as three per region. The same applies to Labour, whose lowest is 12% and highest is 19%, but who have a better chance of winning constituency seats.

(The number of Green list seats is quite likely to determine whether there’s a pro-indy majority or not, so a couple of percentage points either way could be crucial in terms of the ultimate shape of the government, though it’ll make sod-all difference in terms of independence. The SNP-Labour coalition might yet happen.)

And of course, it depends on whose voters, if anyone’s, are most motivated to turn out, and how many of the 20% who still say they’re undecided make their minds up, and whether it rains or not, and the price of cheese and whether Venus is rising in Uranus. Frankly, our dears, we haven’t got a scooby.

So we’re having the day off, and we’ll see you tomorrow for the results. Your guess, at this stage, is as good as ours.