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The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

UK to call for end to Sudan bloodshed at Berlin talks on third anniversary of war

British aid to double as 19m people face acute hunger, but summit unlikely to end conflict amid Saudi-UAE tensions The British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, will urge Sudan’s warring parties to “cease bloodshed” during a major conference on Wednesday, which analysts believe is unlikely to deliver a significant step towards peace. The talks in Berlin – held on the third anniversary of the start of Sudan’s ruinous war – are expected to help address a catastrophic funding shortfall that is com

Defence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

How war in Gulf reveals the ‘cut corners’ on British defence

With the army’s size halved since the cold war, UK ambitions to be globally deployable do not match the reality, experts say Middle East crisis – live updates If Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a wake-up call for Nato, the war in the Gulf has brought some harsh realities home to the British public about the state of the UK’s armed forces. While air defence systems and fighter jets were already in place or deployed relatively swiftly, the time it took to send a single destr

Defence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Hundreds of asylum seekers moved from hotels to army barracks, Home Office announces

Refugee Council criticises Labour’s decision, saying military sites are unsuitable and ‘more expensive than hotels’ Hundreds of asylum seekers have been removed from government-funded hotels while others have been sent to live in army barracks, the Home Office has announced. Eleven “asylum hotels” in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been closed, as first reported by the Guardian, and more will close “in the coming weeks”. About 350 claimants have been moved to the Crowborough military

ImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump? | Editorial

A former Nato chief demands more cash while fixing Britain’s global role. Before billions are spent, ministers must define the purpose of its military George Robertson’s claims about the prime minister’s “corrosive complacency” over Britain’s safety made headlines. But it is a howl of pain, not a sober security analysis. The former Nato secretary general and author of the government’s strategic defence review (SDR) wants Downing Street to back his view of Britain’s role in the world – as Robin t

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

UK woman fears being stranded in Spain over new Home Office border rules

Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa was refused boarding on flight to London because she was not aware of the rule change A British woman has told how she fears being stranded in Spain for months after being refused boarding a on flight back home to London because she was not aware of new Home Office border rules. Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa, 26, was born in the UK to a British father and a Spanish mother, but because of archaic laws she was not entitled automatically to British citizenship because her

ImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Reeves arrives at IMF with little leeway to prove its UK downgrade wrong

Chancellor faced with fund’s forecast that impact of Iran war will leave Britain as G7’s biggest loser Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns The Iran war is bad news for the global economy. But for some countries, the unfolding conflict is having a bigger impact than for others. The International Monetary Fund’s verdict is that Britain is the G7’s biggest loser. Amid the rising damage from the Middle East war, the Washington-based fund warned UK economic growth rate wou

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Group of Labour MPs proposes new policies to beat rightwing populism

The policies include a Swiss-style EU deal, lower electricity prices and reduced dependence on the US A group of Labour MPs is to propose a series of new policies to defeat rightwing populism, including a Swiss-style deal with the EU, lower electricity prices, a robust defence of climate policies and a reduced dependence on Washington. Among those contributing to a new collection of essays is the former cabinet minister Anneliese Dodds, who calls for a fundamental reappraisal of the UK-US relati

PoliticsDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

‘Bizarre’ lack of urgency in putting UK on war footing, says defence review co-author

Fiona Hill, a former White House chief adviser, joins ex-Nato chief in criticising Starmer’s leadership on defence UK politics live – latest updates A co-author of Britain’s strategic defence review has joined criticism of Keir Starmer’s leadership on military policy, warning of a “bizarre” lack of urgency in defence planning. Fiona Hill, a former chief adviser to the White House on Russia, echoed the concerns of George Robertson, her co-author with Gen Richard Barrons on the strategic defence

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

UK’s armed forces are in a sad state – and they have only themselves to blame

The MoD shows little sign of learning from its mistakes – no wonder the Treasury is reluctant to agree to its demands George Robertson, Tony Blair’s first defence secretary, a former Nato secretary general and an author last year of the latest in a series of evasive strategic defence reviews, accused Keir Starmer on Tuesday of a “corrosive complacency towards defence”. He said the prime minister was not willing to make the “necessary investment”. Lord Robertson could have directed his fire elsew

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Reeves hits out at ‘folly’ of US going to war without clear exit plan

Chancellor ‘frustrated and angry’ at decision to attack Iran ‘without being clear what the objectives are’ UK politics live – latest updates Middle East crisis – live updates Rachel Reeves has hit out at the “folly” of Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran without a clear exit plan. Speaking to the Mirror before a trip to Washington for the International Monetary Fund spring meeting, the UK chancellor renewed her criticism of the war, which has pushed up oil prices and threatens a

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Reform activist suspended over racist and antisemitic comments remains election agent

Adam Mitula is acting as election agent for Reform candidates in three wards in Tameside area ahead of 7 May polls A Reform UK activist in the Gorton and Denton byelection who was suspended over racist and antisemitic comments has been named as the election agent for three of the party’s candidates in Manchester ahead of polls on 7 May. Adam Mitula, an interim campaign manager in the Tameside area, confirmed in February that he had been suspended as a party member “pending investigation”. Conti

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics14 Apr 2026

Hegseth right to mock Royal Navy, says ex-army chief as he backs claims over military underfunding – UK politics live

Richard Barrons backs George Robertson and says UK forces ‘too small and undernourished for the world that we now live in’ Good morning. When Keir Starmer gave evidence to the Commons liaison committee before the Easter recess, and when he made a statement to MPs yesterday on the first day after it was over, he was repeatedly asked when the government will publish its defence investment plan (DIP). On both occasions, he could not give a timetable and would just say it would be published as soon

PoliticsDefence