Rachel Reeves says leaving the EU has harmed the economy more than expected, adding avoidable costs for firms. With about a month until the Budget, she signals tax rises to tackle a deficit of up to £50bn and plans to rebuild relations with Brussels to ease trade frictions.
Lucy Powell, frontrunner for Labour’s deputy leadership, criticises the PM’s missteps and says she was sacked for opposing cuts. She pledges to change how the party operates, reconnect lost voters and lift polling, while rejecting any attempt to mimic Reform.
The Prison Officers’ Association warns repair and upgrade costs are spiralling, with private contracting driving “out of control” bills as the maintenance backlog nears £2bn. Overcrowded, neglected estates mean a quarter of inmates are in non‑fire‑safe jails and hundreds lack in‑cell toilets.
Former UK army chief Lord Richards says an allied nation cannot prevail without the alliance’s direct role, warning that limited aid breeds false hope. He urges a clearer Western strategy: either deliver the means for victory through the alliance, or pursue a negotiated settlement.
Prince Andrew will relinquish all remaining titles, including Duke of York, after talks with the King. He remains a prince but will stop using styles and honours. The move follows scrutiny over ties to a convicted offender, a civil case settlement, and questions about meetings linked to an alleged China spy affair.
MI5 director Ken McCallum urged the PM to act after a high-profile China espionage case collapsed. He said the UK faces daily hostile-state interference and voiced frustration at the inability to prosecute suspects. MPs launched an inquiry, and a decision on a planned Chinese super embassy was delayed.
An investigation finds over 100 former Afghan security personnel who assisted UK forces have been killed since 2023 by a militant group. UK delays to resettlement are blamed for leaving about 4,000 eligible allies stranded and at risk, despite earlier promises of sanctuary.
IMF warns UK inflation will be the highest in the G7 in 2025–26 and cuts growth forecasts, denting the Chancellor’s Budget plans. Ministers weigh tax rises to plug a hole of up to £40bn as costs, led by food and hospitality, accelerate, clouding prospects of meeting the 2% target soon.
Captives were released under a deal that also freed detainees, prompting claims of a new era of peace. In a Knesset speech, the US president celebrated the outcome, while families marked contrasting homecomings across communities after a prolonged crisis.
Trump visits Israel and Egypt to oversee a ceasefire he helped broker and the expected release of 48 captives held by a militant group. A swap would see detainees freed from Israeli custody and remains returned. He will meet families and attend a regional peace summit after the transfers.