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The Guardian Politics22 Mar 2026

Starmer adviser urges ministers to look at profits cap for energy and petrol firms

PM’s ‘cost of living champion’ calls for consideration of temporary measure to prevent profiteering from Iran war The government’s top cost of living adviser has called on ministers to explore a temporary cap on the profits of energy and petrol companies to prevent them from cashing in excessively on the war in the Middle East. Richard Walker – a Labour peer, the chair of Iceland supermarkets and the prime minister’s “cost of living champion” – said he had asked the government to examine limitin

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Mar 2026

How tacking centre left will help Labour win the next election | Andy Beckett

Tribalism and political ambiguity worked with a less fragmented electorate. The party must reconnect with its base – and be open to work with other progressives Led by a probably doomed prime minister, presiding over a struggling economy, exposed by an ongoing scandal, besieged by populist insurgents to its right and left, ambushed by a war that will bring higher inflation and public debt, and predicted to win just 75 seats at the next general election, according to the website Electoral Calcul

PoliticsEconomyDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics21 Mar 2026

Trump’s economic shocks are derailing Britain’s building plans

With major developments collapsing, pressure is growing on councils to concede on affordable housing and public amenities Donald Trump has done his best to crush the green shoots of the global, post-pandemic economic recovery – nowhere more so than in the UK. The US president’s vandalism can be seen across the economic landscape, especially in the property sector, which has become more sensitive to international events since the spread of Covid-19 disrupted long-established supply chains and se

EconomyEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics20 Mar 2026

UK ministers begin contingency planning amid fears for economic effects of Iran war

Britain authorises use of military bases to strike Iranian missile launchers that target shipping in strait of Hormuz • Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has branded the UK and other Nato allies “cowards” but anger is growing among cabinet ministers that his war in Iran could jeopardise Britain’s fragile finances. Senior members of the government are in despair about the potential effects on the economy, with experts warning of higher energy prices and mortgage and borrowing costs.

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics20 Mar 2026

Ministers look at blueprint for economic overhaul amid fears cost of living could hand election to far right

Many MPs say they are frustrated with communications strategy that brands both Reform and Greens as extremists Cabinet ministers have been studying a blueprint for Labour to radically overhaul its economic offer and messaging, including devolving tax powers, abolishing national insurance and major property tax reforms. Passed around dozens of MPs, the paper argues that without a major rethink, the failure to tackle the discontent on the cost of living will hand the next election to a hard-right

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

The Guardian view on Labour, liberals and the left: they agree on the problem, but not the solution | Editorial

From Brexit to fiscal rules to living costs, diagnoses multiply. Steel policy points to a missing link – the need for a strategy to rebuild The government has raised tariffs to protect the steel industry. It also nationalised the UK’s remaining blast furnaces last year to keep them running. Both moves point to the same conclusion: the current economic model is not working. A series of interventions from Labour’s Sir Sadiq Khan and Angela Rayner as well as the Green party leader, Zack Polanski,

EconomyEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

Some of the world’s poorest countries to lose UK aid due to 56% budget cut

UK’s bilateral aid to Africa, which funds programmes such as schools and clinics, to be cut by almost £900m by 2028-29 Some of the world’s poorest countries will lose out on UK aid which funds programmes such as schools and clinics due to budget cuts set out by the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper. The UK’s bilateral aid to Africa will be cut by almost £900m by 2028-29 – a 56% cut – part of more than £6bn in cuts which must be delivered to fund an increase in defence spending. Continue reading.

EconomyDefenceEducation
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

Khan says Labour should rejoin EU customs union and single market this parliament – UK politics live

London mayor also says his party should make clear manifesto commitment on full membership in next parliament Good morning. Shortly before the general election in 2024, Keir Starmer said he did not think the UK would rejoin the EU in his lifetime. (He is now 63.) At the time he was loath to say anything that implied the Brexit vote was a mistake. More recently, Labour has been happy to talk about the economic damage done by the leave vote, and ministers want a closer relationship with the EU, bu

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

UK to cut climate aid to developing countries by 14% to £2bn a year in ‘refocus’

Move will put national security and lives overseas at risk, critics say, as overall UK aid budget is slashed to 0.3% of gross national income Climate aid to developing countries from the UK will be cut by about 14% to roughly £2bn a year under government plans, in a move critics said would put national security and lives overseas at risk. The move follows bitter rows with the Treasury, which wanted deeper cuts owing to pressure on spending resulting from the war in Iran. Continue reading...

EconomyDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

Ban corporate donations to UK political parties to protect elections, says thinktank

CenTax warns bill under debate in parliament has ‘easily exploitable’ loopholes and will not prevent foreign interference Political donations by companies should be banned to protect UK elections from foreign interference, a thinktank has warned. In the first big overhaul of election funding in 26 years, ministers have pledged to “keep British democracy safe” by closing a loophole that allows individuals not eligible to vote in Britain to donate to political parties through UK-registered compani

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics18 Mar 2026

Sadiq Khan urges Labour to campaign on rejoining EU at next election

Mayor of London says returning to EU now more desirable because of economic instability caused by Donald Trump Labour should go into the next general election promising to rejoin the EU, Sadiq Khan has said. The mayor of London has repeatedly made the case for joining the customs union and single market, but went much further on Wednesday night by suggesting the party should promise full membership at next ballot. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics18 Mar 2026

Angela Rayner’s allies say HMRC inquiry set to be resolved before May elections

Exclusive: Resolution could pave way for full return to frontline politics, but allies stress she has no plans to directly challenge Keir Starmer For months there has been an apparently insurmountable obstacle to Angela Rayner going for the Labour leadership, should Keir Starmer find himself facing a contest. The investigation by HMRC into the former deputy prime minister’s tax affairs has hung heavily over her since she was forced to resign last September over underpayment of stamp duty on her

PoliticsEconomyHousing