Disabled people in England to get 24-hour free bus travel – UK politics live

Disabled bus pass holders in England will be able to travel for free at all hours from April next year, the government has announced. Currently, disabled bus passes are valid for travel only on weekdays from 9.30am to 11pm unless local authorities fund an extension, as Greater Manchester did earlier this year when Andy Burnham was mayor. The prime minister, who is announcing the changes as part of his drive to reduce the cost of living, said it was “simply not right that many disabled people cannot travel using their pass during certain times of the day”. The £60m to fund the move comes from existing budgets – with £40m from the Department for Work and Pensions and £20m from the Department for Transport. Burnham is visiting a bus station in the West Midlands this morning and is expected to give more details on the policy then. He’s got a pooled interview with broadcasters at 11am, followed by questions by regional media. Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon, who has been campaigning for the cha