5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Wednesday (14 January 2026):

Government rolls back key part of digital ID plans: Ministers have rolled back plans for a central element of the proposed digital ID plans, leaving open the possibility that people will be able to use other forms of identification to prove their right to work. This will mean that the IDs, announced to some controversy in September, will no longer be mandatory for working-age people, given that the only planned obligatory element was to prove the right to work in the UK. [Guardian]

Big plans for north of England rail investment: The government has set out its vision for major rail improvements across the north of England, which it says will transform the region and boost the UK economy, more than a decade after such a project was first proposed. The multibillion-pound scheme, known as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), aims to deliver faster journeys and more frequent trains across the North through a combination of upgraded and new lines, and improvements to stations. An initial £1.1 billion has been earmarked for design and preparation. Construction is not expected to start until after 2030. [BBC]

Law will require NHS to offer training jobs to UK doctors first: The NHS will not be allowed to offer training jobs to foreign doctors unless no British doctors have applied for the role, under legislation being fast-tracked through parliament. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has introduced a bill requiring hospitals to offer job interviews and training posts to medical graduates from Britain or Ireland before any international recruits. The British Medical Association (BMA) said it “gives us some hope” that the government was listening to its demands on jobs and pay. [The Times]

UK business confidence drops to three-year low: British businesses turned their most pessimistic in three years at the end of 2025 and their mood worsened after finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget at the end of November, a survey published on Wednesday showed. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) said its gauge of business confidence fell to -11.1 in the fourth quarter, its lowest since the end of 2022 and down from -7.3 in the third quarter. [Reuters]