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The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Ben Jennings on Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and the war in Iran – cartoon

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Defence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Reeves’s talk of stability may be misplaced amid Iran war turmoil

Attempt to project calm in spring forecast may be short-lived if living costs and unemployment keep climbing Reeves insists Labour has ‘right economic plan’ Business live – latest updates “This government has restored economic stability,” Rachel Reeves told the House of Commons on Tuesday. Yet the chancellor was speaking just moments after MPs had been hearing from the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, about plans to evacuate British nationals from the escalating conflagration in the Middle E

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

‘I’m concerned the Iran war might drive up living costs’: Britons respond to Reeves’s spring forecast

The chancellor’s statement offered little new on tax or spending, but readers voiced concerns about rising costs Business live – latest updates Action to tackle student loan debt, clarity about what the Middle East crisis will mean for the UK economy, cheaper borrowing, more scrutiny of supermarket prices … Readers who took part in a Guardian callout before the spring forecast had plenty of things on their wishlists. In the event there were no major tax or spending measures announced, and some

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

UK considers sending Royal Navy destroyer to Cyprus

Defence sources say deployment of HMS Duncan to better protect base on Mediterranean island is under discussion UK politics live – latest updates Middle East crisis – live updates John Healey, the defence secretary, is considering sending a Royal Navy destroyer to Cyprus to help defend British bases there after several apparently hostile drones targeted RAF Akrotiri on the island. Defence sources said a deployment of HMS Duncan, currently in Portsmouth, was under discussion as a way to better

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Labour to scrap government power over elections watchdog amid fears of abuse

MPs and campaigners had warned law imposed by Tories could be used by future leaders to ‘undermine democracy’ UK politics live – latest updates Ministers are to repeal powers imposed by the Conservatives that allowed them control over the elections watchdog, after warnings they could be abused by a future government with authoritarian ambitions. Steve Reed, who as communities secretary is overseeing a new elections bill, announced the move to MPs, saying he would “repeal in full the power for

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Trump rebukes Starmer over UK refusal to back strikes on Iran

US president says ‘relationship is not what it was’ after PM defends decision not to allow use of British bases Middle East crisis – live updates US-Israel war on Iran: what we know on day four Donald Trump has criticised Keir Starmer again over the UK’s refusal to aid the offensive strikes on Iran, saying the “relationship is obviously not what it was”. Starmer had issued his strongest rebuke yet of Trump’s action in Iran, saying the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies” and d

Defence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Spring forecast: Rachel Reeves to insist government has ‘right economic plan’, as Middle East crisis threatens inflation spike – live updates

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, including the UK’s spring forecast Rachel Reeves’s plans could be hit by Middle East conflict, say economists Soaring global energy prices as a result of the widening Middle East conflict will jeopardise Rachel Reeves’s plan to conquer inflation and rekindle growth, economists have warned as she prepares to deliver her spring forecast later today. Responding to the latest projections from the independent Office for Budget Responsibili

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Starmer’s position on Iran pleases no one, but that is because there are no good options | Rafael Behr

None of the prime minister’s critics engages with the hard strategic dilemmas arising from Britain’s perilous dependency on US power It is not easy being a friend of Donald Trump, but it is a lot less dangerous than being his enemy. There isn’t a huge range of options in between. War in the Middle East is exposing how limited the choices are for a British prime minister. The US president doesn’t see alliances as long-term relationships based on mutual advantage, but as rolling transactions on a

Defence
The Guardian Politics3 Mar 2026

Rachel Reeves’s plans could be hit by Middle East conflict, say economists

Warning comes as OBR projections in the spring forecast are expected to show public finances moving in the right direction Soaring global energy prices as a result of the widening Middle East conflict will jeopardise Rachel Reeves’s plan to conquer inflation and rekindle growth, economists have warned as she prepares to deliver her spring forecast later today. Responding to the latest projections from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the chancellor will insist she has “the

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

Starmer vows to avoid ‘mistakes of Iraq’ that have haunted Labour for decades

Prime minister does not believe US has a plan beyond ‘shock and awe’ stage, as some MPs dread what lies ahead • US-Israel war on Iran – live updates • What we know so far on day three of the Iran war • A visual guide to US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s response Tony Blair’s support for the US invasion of Iraq has long loomed like a spectre over the Labour party. It was present in 2013 when Ed Miliband as opposition leader voted to block UK military action against the Syrian regime. Cont

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

More than 100,000 Britons stranded in Gulf, with airspace closed to most flights

UK considering all evacuation options, including charter and military flights and bus trips across land borders More than 100,000 Britons were stranded in the Gulf on Monday, with airspace in the region still closed to most flights and overland evacuation regarded as risky while Iran continues to launch missile and drone strikes across the region. Downing Street said UK officials were considering all options to get citizens home safely, including using commercial, charter and military flights an

PoliticsImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

After failing to win the peace prize, Trump turns his focus to Nobel prize for war | John Crace

As for Keir Starmer, even when he tries to make a reasonably sound judgment he somehow ends up losing both sides of the argument Maybe we should have just had done with it back in December. Instead of offering a polite reservation, every western country should have sent a full, state delegation to Norway. Begging, imploring the Nobel Committee to award Donald Trump the peace prize. We could all have chipped in a couple of billion just to make it even more worth winning. And if that wasn’t enough

Defence