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The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Starmer speech leaves Reform UK and the Tories playing catch-up | John Crace

The PM’s decision not to sign up the UK to the Middle East conflict reflects the public mood better than Badenoch and Farage’s former gung-ho support It was a message that could just as easily have been given via a ministerial statement in the Commons. But Keir Starmer needs every break he can get at the moment and he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to look like a world leader at a press conference in Downing Street. The advantages were obvious. No need to have to listen to Kemi Badenoch dron

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Trump’s war is bringing economic calamity to the UK – and another shock to our politics | Gaby Hinsliff

Hard choices lie ahead for Downing Street if higher fuel prices spark resentment and trigger a renewed cost of living crisis Seventy years ago this winter, the streets of Britain fell eerily quiet. After one last panic buying spree, many garages shut, and traffic even in the heart of London dwindled away. The formal introduction of petrol rationing had begun, limiting drivers to 200 miles’ worth a month – with exceptions for farmers, doctors and vicars – after the Suez crisis blocked fuel suppli

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Labour MPs have no reason to oppose new welfare reforms, says minister

Pat McFadden unveils £1bn youth employment scheme and appeals for support from backbench MPs who rebelled over welfare last year Labour MPs have no reason to oppose a fresh government attempt to overhaul the welfare system, the work and pensions secretary has said as he unveiled a £1bn youth employment scheme. The announcement by Pat McFadden – who said the public wanted the system to promote work and “value for money” – is seen as a prelude to a renewed bid to reform the welfare system after

Politics
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Can Starmer avoid being drawn into the US-Iran war? – podcast

The PM says the UK will not be dragged into wider war in the Middle East and pledges support to households struggling to pay for heating oil. Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talk about what the government is doing to support people during the cost of living crisis and the fallout from the war. Plus a look at Brussels as the government works on another EU-reset to create closer ties Continue reading...

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Mayor unveils £1.5bn ‘People’s Network’ transport plan for South Yorkshire

Trams, buses and hire bikes will be integrated under molten orange and asphalt black brand highlighting industrial heritage, says Oliver Coppard South Yorkshire’s transport system will be known as the “People’s Network”, with trams, buses and hire bikes all coming under public control. The plan was unveiled on Monday by the region’s mayor, Oliver Coppard, who said it would create an affordable, joined-up network in molten orange and asphalt black colours. A large fleet of electric buses and 25 n

The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Britons should strive to pay minimum tax legally possible, says Richard Tice

Reform UK’s deputy leader comments came as he was responding to questions raised about his own tax affairs All Britons should do their best to pay the minimum tax possible, Reform UK’s deputy leader has argued as he dismissed a newspaper investigation over his own tax affairs as a smear. Richard Tice, who was presenting a press conference on Monday about Reform’s claims to have saved large sums of money in the English councils it runs, faced questions about a Sunday Times story which detailed a

EconomyReform
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

UK will not be drawn into wider war in Middle East, says Keir Starmer

PM’s comments come as he announces support for households reliant on heating oil amid surging costs UK politics live – latest updates The UK will not be drawn into the wider war in the Middle East, Keir Starmer has said, as he announced that households reliant on heating oil to warm their homes would receive £53m of government support to help with their bills. After costs surged following the outbreak of the Iran conflict, lower-income households will get targeted support, while heating oil su

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

What's worth more: Churchill or a woke badger? Welcome to Britain's banknote culture war | Jonn Elledge

Self-appointed patriots are up in arms about a plan to replace historical figures with cute wildlife. The Bank of England shouldn’t duck this debate One day soon we may finally have an answer to a question that has stumped philosophers through the ages: which is worth more, a beaver or a robin? We might be able to place actual monetary values on barn owls or stags, too. Any one of them could even be considered worth more than Winston Churchill. That’s because the Bank of England has announced th

Defence
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Minister plays down Trump’s Nato threat, arguing US alliance strong enough to ‘outlast’ current issues – UK politics live

Pat McFadden says Trump running a ‘transactional presidency’ and that ‘our job is to navigate this’ Good morning. Keir Starmer is holding a press conference in Downing Street this morning. As Kiran Stacey reports, the PM’s main intention will be to announce support for people most hit by rising energy prices, particularly householders reliant on heating oil. The measures are expected to be worth tens of millions of pounds. But, inevitably, most of the focus likely to be on how Starmer responds t

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

UK not obliged to support every demand of ‘transactional’ US president, minister says

Donald Trump has threatened Nato allies over failure to send ships to protect strait of Hormuz, but Pat McFadden says UK relation with US remain strong Middle East crisis live Donald Trump is a “very transactional” president, whose repeated demands on Iran must be seen in this context, one of Keir Starmer’s most senior ministers has said in an unusually blunt UK assessment of relations between the countries. Asked about the US president’s threats of some sort of retaliation against allies who

Defence
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Plans to cut NHS international workforce appear overambitious, say MPs

Health service in England has saved more than £14bn hiring from overseas, report says, as doubt is cast on aim to reduce international recruitment to 10% Ministers’ plans to cut the international workforce within NHS England appear overambitious, MPs have said, as a report reveals the health service saved more than £14bn by recruiting doctors, nurses and midwives from overseas. Many of the countries recruited from were struggling with staff shortages, and the UK had a moral duty to offer support

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics16 Mar 2026

Inquiry launched into HMRC anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits

Flawed Home Office travel records identified thousands of parents suspected of claiming while living abroad The UK’s public spending watchdog has launched an investigation into a controversial government anti-fraud scheme that resulted in thousands of families being wrongly stripped of their child benefit payments. The National Audit Office (NAO) will examine how HM Revenue and Customs designed and implemented a scheme that used flawed Home Office travel records to identify parents suspected of

Housing