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The Guardian Politics26 Mar 2026

UK CO2 plant to reopen amid fears Iran war could lead to shortage

Teesside site mothballed in September given £100m by government to restart production for at least three months A shuttered carbon dioxide plant on Teesside is to reopen with £100m of government investment in response to fears that the war in Iran could trigger shortages of the gas that multiple industries rely on. The business secretary, Peter Kyle, has approved the reopening of the Ensus plant to help bolster production of CO2, which has uses ranging from carbonating drinks and keeping food fr

DefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics26 Mar 2026

Starmer promises to tackle ‘addictive’ social media platforms after peers inflict fresh defeat on government – UK politics live

The government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s but peers voted to move faster House of Lords pushes for Australian-style social media ban for under-16s Good morning. It is going to be a busy political news day, but potentially quite a mixed and messy one. Keir Starmer is in Helsinki for a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (the northern European military pact – the Nordics, the Baltics, the Dutch and the UK), and he has already been speaking to the media

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics26 Mar 2026

Fears net zero is ‘next Brexit’ as oil crisis fuels political climate divide

Rising energy bills give Reform and Tories opening to attack net zero while government hesitant to make case for clean energy Could net zero become “the next Brexit”? That is the fear stalking climate advocates as the oil crisis caused by the war on Iran starts to bite. A powerful coalition of the well-funded Reform party, led by Nigel Farage, the Conservative party, some business interests, and the UK’s right-wing media, are engaged in an onslaught against the longstanding target of reaching ne

PoliticsDefenceEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics25 Mar 2026

Resident doctors in England to begin six-day strike after rejecting offer in pay dispute

British Medical Association blame government for longest proposed walkout so far, with NHS leaders warning it could cost £300m Resident doctors in England will strike for six days after Easter after rejecting what they said was the final offer by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to end the long-running pay and jobs dispute. The British Medical Association blamed the government for its decision to undertake its longest stoppage so far, from 7am on Tuesday 7 April to 6.59 on Monday 13 April.

DefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics25 Mar 2026

Here’s the danger: if Labour doesn’t offer a radical solution to the energy-price crisis, others will

Money-off vouchers won’t do. Instead, the government needs to offer a lasting vision for energy security – because we already know what Reform’s is In a time of fear, heroes must rise. There’s a gathering storm rattling at the windows, tearing through the family WhatsApp groups. Use your air fryer instead of the oven. Book your summer holiday now to avoid spiralling flight costs. Colin, a caller on LBC, has heard a rumour (the radio phone-in equivalent of “forwarded many times”) that there are a

Defence
The Guardian Politics25 Mar 2026

UK inflation held at 3% before global energy price hit from Iran war

February annual rate in line with analysts’ expectations but outlook has shifted because of effects of conflict The UK inflation rate was unchanged at 3% in February, before Donald Trump’s Iran war drove up global energy costs, threatening a renewed price jump. Official figures showed the consumer prices index (CPI) remained at 3%, in line with economists’ expectations but still well above the government’s 2% target. Continue reading...

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

UK offers to host international security summit on reopening strait of Hormuz

Defence chiefs have been discussing how to unblock the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies The UK has offered to host an international security summit to draw up a “viable, collective plan” to reopen the strait of Hormuz as economic fallout from the Iran conflict continues. Defence chiefs have been discussing how they might unblock the vital shipping lane, through which about 20% of global oil supplies usually pass, amid the Middle East crisis unleashed by the US and Israel. C

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

Reeves slips into yoga voice to try to soothe fears over costs of Trump’s war | John Crace

The chancellor was meant to set out her contingency plans but it was an announcement without any announcements in it You have to feel a bit sorry for the chancellor. Roughly four weeks ago, Rachel Reeves had come to the Commons to deliver her spring statement. A moderately upbeat picture of the nation’s finances that didn’t necessarily coincide with people’s lived experience. Still, it more or less did the trick. Bought her another six months until the autumn budget. Or so she thought. Now, than

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

UK defence firms ‘bleeding cash’ as delayed spending plan leaves industry in ‘paralysis’

Industry groups say delay to defence investment plan (DIP) leaving UK behind in global race for funding Defence manufacturers are going bust while others have been left in “paralysis” and “bleeding cash” as they wait for a long-delayed UK military spending plan for the next decade, MPs have heard. Industry groups said that a more than six-month delay to the defence investment plan (DIP) has also left the UK behind Germany and the US in attracting cash from global investors. Continue reading...

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

What levers could Rachel Reeves pull to help with rising prices?

What the chancellor could do to counter the economic impacts of Iran war, from stopping price gouging to cancelling fuel duty rises Reeves rules out universal support on energy bills Business live – latest updates Rachel Reeves updated MPs on Tuesday about the steps the government was taking to cushion the impact of the Iran war on consumers and the UK economy. The chancellor stopped short of announcing specific immediate support but said she was contingency planning for the tough months ahea

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

Starmer’s press tormentors are merciless. He either needs to fight back or bypass them | Jane Martinson

Now the rightwing press are accusing the PM of cowardice over Iran. He must stop letting them craft his narrative and create his own If there was one thing Keir Starmer might have hoped the UK media would support him over, it was his refusal to follow a US president blindly into war in the Middle East. After all, his Labour predecessor Tony Blair only really got hammered in the press over warmongering in Iraq. Those hopes must now be dashed. On Sunday, three major newspaper groups led with dire

Defence
The Guardian Politics24 Mar 2026

MPs accuse social media firms of Iran misinformation

Parliamentary hearing focused on online harms from X, TikTok and Meta including use of AI to nudify young girls UK politics live – latest updates MPs have accused “complacent” social media giants of spreading Iran war misinformation, allowing political deepfakes that could threaten elections and still enabling the use of AI to nudify young girls. In a testy parliamentary hearing that exposed deepening frustration among MPs with big tech firms, X, TikTok and Meta listed measures they have taken

PoliticsDefence