Healthy Babies programme to be expanded to every local authority in England
Yvette Cooper announced at Labour's conference in Liverpool that Sure Start-style Healthy Babies health services will reach up to 1,000 family hubs over two years.
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The story, neutrally told
The government is rolling out a Healthy Babies programme to every local authority in England, as part of an effort to expand a Sure Start-type system of help for deprived children and families. The GuardianLC “The government is rolling out a Healthy Babies programme to every local authority in England” Read at The Guardian ↗ Health Secretary Yvette Cooper announced it at Labour's conference in Liverpool. Daily MirrorL “told Labour conference in Liverpool” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ The GuardianLC “Announcing the expansion of the Healthy Babies programme at the Labour conference in Liverpool” Read at The Guardian ↗ The programme is meant to help parents with infant feeding, mental health and bonding with babies, alongside health visiting and midwifery support. The GuardianLC “It aims to support parents with infant feeding, their mental health and building strong bonds with their babies” Read at The Guardian ↗ Daily MirrorL “help parents with infant feeding and offer mental health support, as well as health visiting and midwifery support” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Cooper said it would reach up to 1,000 family hubs over the next two years; the Mirror describes this as by 2028. The GuardianLC “the programme will reach up to 1,000 family hubs over the next two years” Read at The Guardian ↗ Daily MirrorL “to more than 1,000 family hubs by 2028” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Since the election Labour has opened new family hubs, but both outlets report that more than half of local authorities have hubs without health services such as Healthy Babies. The GuardianLC “more than half of local authorities have hubs without Healthy Babies services” Read at The Guardian ↗ Daily MirrorL “more than half of local authorities in England don't have health services in the centres” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Sure Start was launched in 1998 under a Labour government and was widely seen as a major success; the Guardian says much of it was dismantled amid Conservative spending cuts. The GuardianLC “much of that scheme was dismantled amid massive spending cuts by the Conservatives” Read at The Guardian ↗ Daily MirrorL “Sure Start was one of the major successes of the last Labour government” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Cooper said she was "still angry" about the Conservatives abolishing Sure Start, citing evidence of better mental health, school attendance and fewer hospital admissions. Daily MirrorL “I am still angry about the Conservatives abolishing Sure Start” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ The Guardian says the family hubs policy commits £500m to opening 1,000 centres from April 2027. The GuardianLC “The new policy of family hubs will commit £500m to opening 1,000 centres from April 2027.” Read at The Guardian ↗ NHS Alliance chief executive Sir Ciarán Devane welcomed the focus on prevention, while Save the Children's Dan Paskins urged further investment. Daily MirrorL “Prevention, early intervention and joined-up support are essential”“invests further to ensure that a new generation of babies lives are not limited by their circumstances” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the expansion as a revival of a Labour achievement, restoring Sure Start health services; the Guardian adds policy and party-history context, the Mirror leads on Cooper's anger at the Conservatives.
- Emphasis
- Sure Start's legacy, Labour figures' personal ties to it, Cooper's conference speech, and (Mirror) charity and NHS reaction plus other conference announcements.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither gives a cost for the Healthy Babies expansion itself, nor any Conservative or independent critical response.
- Charged language
- “still angry”“A shocking decision”“restored to families throughout the land”
- For example
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“Sure Start was seen as one of that government’s major successes” — The Guardian
“in a revival of the landmark New Labour scheme” — Daily Mirror
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Yvette Cooper announced the expansion at Labour's conference in Liverpool.
- Healthy Babies services will go into family hubs, reaching up to 1,000 over about two years.
- More than half of English local authorities have family hubs without such health services.
- Sure Start began under a Labour government and was cut back under the Conservatives.
Where accounts differ
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Scale and timing of the rollout
- Left
- The Guardian says up to 1,000 hubs over the next two years; the Mirror says more than 1,000 hubs by 2028, while also quoting Cooper's 'up to 1,000'.
Yvette Cooper person
Cooper presents the move as restoring a Labour achievement and fixing a gap in family hubs, and condemns the Conservatives' abolition of Sure Start.
“That changes now.” — Daily Mirror
“A shocking decision” — Daily Mirror
Labour Party organisation
Labour presents Sure Start as central to its identity and the expansion as delivering on it.
“Sure Start and its successor programmes are seen as integral to the narrative of the modern Labour party” — The Guardian
Left2 articles
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Healthy Babies programme to be expanded across England
Neutral Policy explainer placing the expansion in the history of Sure Start and Labour's family hubs plan.
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Sure Start-style health services for parents will be rolled out across England
Sympathetic Conference report leading on Cooper's quotes and Labour's revival of Sure Start, with supportive outside voices.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 30 Sep 06:00 First The GuardianLC Healthy Babies programme to be expanded across England
- 30 Sep 12:58 +6h 58m Daily MirrorL Sure Start-style health services for parents will be rolled out across England
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.