The Know Daily - Tuesday 29 September 2026

_{Read in 4m 08s ∙ Listening to Jamie Miller ∙}

A tiny film set for squirrels? We’re obsessed. Retired Canadian photographer Nancy Rose builds miniature scenes – think cafés, pizza shops and even road trips – then waits for her furry little actors to wander into shot. At this point, these squirrels deserve their own sitcom.

🔀 Shaking up local councils

Plans to overhaul England’s council system have been abruptly paused – but what was the government trying to change in the first place?

What was the original plan?
The government wanted to simplify the way local government works in parts of England by getting rid of the two-tier system of county and district councils. Instead, these would be replaced by single unitary authorities, with one council responsible for services including roads, planning, rubbish collection, housing and social care. The idea was for most of the new councils to hold elections in May 2027 and take on their full powers from April 2028. As the Guardian reports, the plans would mean replacing the existing system with fewer, larger councils covering much bigger areas.

And what’s behind the change?
The government’s argument was that having different councils responsible for different services can create duplication and make it unclear who is responsible for what. Bringing everything under one roof, ministers said, could make decision-making simpler and help councils use their money more efficiently. But it was also a huge job: more than 20 million people live in areas with two tiers of local government, and councils had already spent months working on new boundaries and transition plans.

So, why has it been paused?
This is where things got messy. On 7 September, Secretary of State Angela Rayner announced a review after the government received updated legal advice about whether the reorganisation process had been carried out properly. According to the BBC, plans for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk were withdrawn, while decisions affecting 14 other areas were paused and put under review. At least eight councils had launched or were considering legal challenges over the proposed boundaries.

And what happens now?
For the areas caught by the review, the big question is whether the government changes the proposals, presses ahead with them or decides they need a different approach. For now, local elections in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries, while Surrey is continuing separately and is still due to move to its new unitary structure. So the shake-up hasn't been scrapped – but the timetable and shape of the reforms are now much less certain.

Your new fave foundation flew into our inbox last week, and the best news? It’s a real bargain (thank us later!).*

👩‍⚕️ Martha’s Rule is being rolled out across every A&E department in England and should be complete by March next year. 

• The bigger story: Martha’s Rule gives patients and families a way to raise concerns if they feel someone’s condition is getting worse or they are not being heard. It was introduced after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, whose sepsis was not identified before she died in hospital in 2021. The scheme is designed to give patients and families a stronger voice in decisions about their care and help identify serious deterioration earlier.

☀️ Solar panels could operate for five and a half years underwater, scientists have announced. 

🚏A new legal route that prioritises Afghan women and girls and Palestinians is set to be opened by the UK government.

☕️ Bringing a coffee to a job interview is a notion that's divided the internet after the president of a recruitment agency said Gen Z should stop doing it.

🌳 The iconic Sycamore Gap tree is showing "encouraging" signs of growth three years on from its felling.

✈️ The best-value destinations for winter-sun have been ranked (and suddenly the whole team wants to take their annual leave in January 😂).

🌝 The Harvest Moon rose over the weekend and there are some stunning pics out there. Save our handy guide below so you don’t miss the next one!

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Trivia answer: B) Volunteers are scything meadows in exchange for bread and cheese (Um, where do we sign up?!)

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