Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again. So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first. More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right. We're putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed, including 67 Britons. My thoughts are with all those who lost friends and family members that terrible day. Time may pass, but I know the grief is still felt just as deeply today. On this anniversary, we must remember that hatred and fear did not have the last word on 9/11. The terrorists sought to weaken and divide America, and everyone who believes in the values our countries share. But our response was clear: those who seek to destroy our way of life will never win. I saw that same defiance in Greater Manchester. When I was Mayor, Manchester was the victim of two horrific terrorist attacks. I will never forget the messages of support and friendship from people across America who knew better than anyone the suffering of our city. Some of the children of those killed in the 9/11 attacks wrote to the families of the people killed in Manchester, and they said this: We are you and you are us. We are one. We will never forget these terrible events, but we refuse to be defined by them. Terror still knocks on the door of democracy, but the United Kingdom and the United States stand together in memory of those we lost, and in defence of the values we cherish. We are you and you are us. And we will prevail.