Also known as: Labour government
Labour — UK political party currently in government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing internal pressure and election losses.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain have all ruled out contesting the seat – leaving the prospect of Farage facing novelty candidates like Count Binface. …
TV licence fee is ‘yesterday’s model’, new BBC director general saysJoy Online
… It comes as cabinet ally Peter Kyle said the prime minister was considering “political realities” after Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election last week cleared a path for him to challenge for the Labour leadership. …
Starmer considers political future as pressure to quit mountsJoy Online
… Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said the GDP figures showed the government was “asleep at the wheel”, adding Labour had left the economy “vulnerable… in the face of Trumpflation and geopolitical turmoil”. …
UK economy contracts as Iran war impact feltJoy Online
… The Labour government, meanwhile, is promising a new equality and diversity strategy with a primary focus on getting working-class people to join and progress in the civil service. …
Legal equality duty for public services should be scrapped, says Kemi BadenochJoy Online
… Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “Protecting children online is vital, but these are outrageous plans that will fail to address the underlying causes of online harm.” “Put simply, the Labour government is threatening ID checks for the internet. …
Starmer tells Apple and Google to ban nude images on children’s phonesJoy Online
… Last year, the government said it was reviving the “landmark” Turner Pension Commission, which reported in 2006, under the last Labour government, and led to the roll-out of automatic enrolment into pension saving. …
Most workers not saving enough for retirement — Pensions UKJoy Online
… Lawyers representing the UK during the three-day hearing in the Netherlands had argued that it was “entirely logical” the plan would be scrapped when Labour came to power and “simple common sense” that no further payments would be due. …
UK wins court case over collapsed Rwanda asylum dealJoy Online
… However, Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Dame Emily Thornberry, said she opposed the government’s decision. …
UK waters down new Russian oil sanctions as fuel prices riseJoy Online
… The IMF did not address the political turmoil which engulfed the government last week following the poor election results for Labour, but said any “domestic uncertainty” could impact growth alongside the Iran conflict. …
UK growth forecast upgraded by IMF but risks remainJoy Online
UK government borrowing costshave reached a new 18-year high and the pound has fallen as the battle for the Labour leadership took another twist with Andy Burnham’s decision to fight a by-election. …
UK borrowing costs rise and pound falls as leadership drama continuesThe BBC's new director general Matt Brittin has described the traditional £180-a-year TV licence as "yesterday's model" and "no longer fit for purpose," and suggested the government reconsider a compulsory household levy that could be collected through utility bills, potentially reducing the fee if all homes participated.
8 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The BBC's new director general Matt Brittin has described the traditional £180-a-year TV licence as "yesterday's model" and "no longer fit for purpose," and suggested the government reconsider a compulsory household levy that could be collected through utility bills, potentially reducing the fee if all homes participated.
8 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is weighing his political future as senior ministers urge him to set a timetable for departure following Andy Burnham's by-election victory, which opened a path for Burnham to challenge for the Labour leadership. US President Donald Trump predicted Starmer will resign, citing failures on immigration and energy policy.
22 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The UK economy shrank by 0.1% in April as the Iran war raised business costs and affected turnover, according to the Office for National Statistics, though the three-month growth rate remained positive at 0.7%.
12 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will argue in a speech that the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public bodies such as schools and hospitals to promote equality, should be scrapped because it has become "a minefield" exposing public decisions to legal challenge. The Labour government meanwhile is promising a new equality and diversity strategy focused on getting working-class people into the civil service.
8 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The UK government has asked tech companies including Apple and Google to activate built-in features or update software to prevent children under 18 from taking, sending or viewing sexually explicit images on smartphones and devices. The government will introduce legislation to require firms to activate the features if they do not do so voluntarily within three months, with potential fines or criminal liability for non-compliance.
8 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Pensions UK warns that more than three-quarters of workers are not on course to save enough for a "moderate" retirement lifestyle, costing £32,700 annually for one person and £45,400 for two, with only 23% projected to reach that level.
3 June 2026 · Joy Online →
An international court has ruled that the UK will not have to pay Rwanda millions of pounds over the collapsed asylum agreement that the UK government cancelled after Labour came to power. Rwanda had sought to sue the UK for more than £100m, claiming the UK breached the terms of the deal, but the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against it.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The UK government has watered down plans to ban imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil in third countries, instead phasing in sanctions over coming months amid concerns over supplies and price rises following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Ukraine's sanctions commissioner said he understands the rationale but disagrees with the approach, citing concerns that temporary exemptions may generate additional revenues for Russia's war machine.
20 May 2026 · Joy Online →
The International Monetary Fund upgraded the UK's 2026 growth estimate to 1% from 0.8%, citing resilience but warning that a prolonged Middle East conflict and domestic uncertainty could dampen growth through higher energy and food prices. The IMF suggested the Bank of England need not raise interest rates this year to bring inflation back to target by end-2027.
18 May 2026 · Joy Online →
UK government borrowing costs have reached an 18-year high and the pound has fallen as Andy Burnham pursues the Labour leadership, with analysts attributing the market movements to concerns that a Burnham-led government would increase borrowing.
15 May 2026 · Joy Online →
The UK will contribute drones, fighter jets, a warship and autonomous mine-detection systems to a multinational mission protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, announced by Defence Minister John Healey at a virtual summit. More than 40 nations are involved in the effort, which follows months of Iranian control of the waterway in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.
13 May 2026 · Joy Online →
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to rebuild Britain's relationship with Europe following poor local election results, proposing to put Britain "at the heart of Europe" through tighter links with the EU, though analysts called the speech lacking in concrete proposals.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer plans to announce bolder action to address major challenges facing the country in a Monday speech, as he seeks to counter growing pressure from Labour MPs calling for his resignation following heavy election losses. Several potential challengers, including Angela Rayner and Catherine West, have publicly questioned his leadership, with West threatening to trigger a formal leadership contest if his speech fails to outline a credible plan to restore the party's fortunes.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Sir Keir Starmer has resisted calls to resign as prime minister after Labour suffered significant election losses across England, Scotland, and Wales, including ending its 27-year rule in Wales. Reform UK emerged as the big winner, picking up more than 1,400 seats in England and leading polling estimates with 26% of the vote share.
9 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Electoral analyst Sir John Curtice reports that overnight local election results confirm Britain's electoral politics has become highly fragmented, with Reform winning the most seats at 30% of those declared and recording a 26% average vote share across a sample of over 500 wards. The Greens averaged 16% support, representing a seven-point increase from 2022, suggesting their best local election performance ever, though they gained just 25 seats so far.
8 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Shell's first-quarter profits reached $6.92bn, up from $5.58bn a year earlier, driven by sharp increases in oil prices following the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about 20% of global oil and LNG supplies.
7 May 2026 · Joy Online →