… omewhat premature and would, I think, cause complete chaos if you start half a reshuffle before you’re in the position.” There has been widespread speculation about Burnham’s cabinet picks, with Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood thought to be in the running to replace Rachel Reeves …
… omewhat premature and would, I think, cause complete chaos if you start half a reshuffle before you’re in the position.” There has been widespread speculation about Burnham’s cabinet picks, with Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood thought to be in the running to replace Rachel Reeves …
… The higher figure was decided upon by Royal Trustees – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the King’s keeper of the Privy Purse and treasurer James Chalmers. …
… at the very least, the Parliamentary Labour Party.” During the month-long Makerfield campaign, Burnham recommitted to Labour’s manifesto promise not to increase the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance, as well as the borrowing rules set by Chancellor Rachel Reeves …
… The Times newspaper reported on Saturday that Burnham would sack finance minister Rachel Reeves if he were to become prime minister after his advisers concluded she did not represent a sufficient change of direction. …
… In March’s Spring Statement, the government’s independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), forecast that the headroom Chancellor Rachel Reeves had against her rule not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending in five years’ time was £23.6bn. …
… Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “At a time of increased instability, today’s announcement sends a clear signal of confidence – giving UK exporters the certainty they need to plan ahead.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the deal was “proof we are backing British firms …
… Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the growth figures showed the government had “the right economic plan”, but warned a Labour leadership contest risked “plunging the country into chaos”. …
Andy Burnham, who secured the Labour leadership after backing from 379 MPs and all 11 affiliated trade unions, said he is finalising cabinet decisions ahead of becoming prime minister on Monday, replacing Sir Keir Starmer. He declined to name his top team beforehand, saying early announcements would "cause complete chaos," but pledged his appointments would reflect all parts of the party and all communities.
Andy Burnham, who secured the Labour leadership after backing from 379 MPs and all 11 affiliated trade unions, said he is finalising cabinet decisions ahead of becoming prime minister on Monday, replacing Sir Keir Starmer. He declined to name his top team beforehand, saying early announcements would "cause complete chaos," but pledged his appointments would reflect all parts of the party and all communities.
Andy Burnham, the new Labour leader backed by 379 Labour MPs and all 11 affiliated trade unions, said he is finalising his cabinet ahead of taking over as prime minister on Monday, replacing Sir Keir Starmer. He pledged his appointments would reflect "all parts of our party" and "all communities," and outlined a vision including reforms to the social care system.
King Charles has voluntarily revealed he paid £12.9m in tax for 2024-2025, becoming the first UK monarch to disclose their tax bill and placing him among the top 100 UK taxpayers. The Prince of Wales declared he paid £7.76m in tax over the same period, with both men citing the disclosure as an effort to increase transparency and accountability.
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.
The Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to resign on Monday, but a government source said he remained focused on governing. Starmer's position has faced increased pressure since his rival Andy Burnham won a parliamentary seat that could enable a formal leadership challenge.
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%.
UK public sector borrowing hit £24.3bn in April, the highest for that month since 2020, driven by higher spending on benefits and debt interest payments amid weak retail sales and deteriorating growth outlook.
The UK has agreed a trade deal with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, worth £3.7bn to the economy and removing an estimated £580m a year in tariffs from British exports once fully implemented. Rights groups have criticised the lack of detail on human rights and labour protections in the agreement.
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.
The UK's economy grew 0.3% in March, exceeding analyst expectations of contraction, as consumers and businesses brought forward spending due to fears of future price rises from the Iran conflict. First-quarter growth reached 0.6%, the fastest quarterly pace in a year and the highest among G7 countries reporting data.
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.