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The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

UK to pay for French officers to deport asylum seekers from war-torn countries

Removal site in Dunkirk will hold people of 10 nationalities trying to reach UK in small boats under new deal with French UK politics live – latest updates The UK will pay for 200 French officers to detain and deport people seeking asylum from some of the world’s most oppressive and war-ravaged regimes under a new UK-France deal to try to reduce Channel crossings. In what is being billed as the first time the French government has agreed to target those heading to the UK in small boats, a remo

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

Cat Little’s evidence to MPs is destined for civil service textbooks | John Crace

The Cabinet Office permanent secretary’s 100 minutes before the foreign affairs committee are required viewing UK politics live – latest updates Here we go again. Some of the public may have had enough of the Peter Mandelson scandal by now, and would rather the focus returned to things such as the Iran war and the cost of living crisis. But Westminster has barely started on Mandy. Can’t get enough of him. This one will run and run. You can almost hear the groans from No 10. By now it has final

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

Top Cabinet Office official to give evidence to MPs about Peter Mandelson’s vetting – UK politics live

Permanent secretary, Cat Little, to give evidence to foreign affairs committee as pressure increases on Keir Starmer The UK government budget came in below its annual borrowing target by £700m, official figures show – but the Iran war is likely to blow a hole in Rachel Reeves’s carefully calculated fiscal “headroom” over the coming months. Tom Knowles has the story. Good morning. As Kiran Stacey, Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot report in the Guardian’s splash, “Keir Starmer is looking increasing

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

Schools forced to cut back on support for Send pupils in England, poll finds

More than 70% have cut down in past year on teaching assistants, who play key role in helping children with Send Two-fifths of school leaders in England have been forced to cut back on support for children with special educational needs due to a financial crisis “more than a decade in the making”, according to a poll. Seven out of 10 (71%) leaders say they have cut down on teaching assistants (TAs) in the past year, while 49% have reduced support staff. The crisis could escalate as 81% warn of f

DefenceEducation
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

UK undershoots annual borrowing target by £700m

But Iran war likely to blow hole in Rachel Reeves’s carefully crafted fiscal ‘headroom’ in coming months The UK government came in below its annual borrowing target by £700m, official figures show – but the Iran war is likely to blow a hole in Rachel Reeves’s carefully calculated fiscal “headroom” over the coming months. The government borrowed a net total of £132bn for the financial year ending in March, the Office for National Statistics said. This slightly undershot the £132.7bn that the Offi

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Yes, retail investment needs a boost – but the squirrel looks too tame | Nils Pratley

Ambition behind investing campaign is laudable, yet cutting stamp duty on share purchases, for example, would be much more savvy City firms bank on ‘savvy’ ad campaign to push Brits towards investing Red squirrel characters have a history in the public information game. Older UK readers may recall Tufty, who taught children about road safety in the 1970s. His chum, Willy Weasel, regularly got knocked down by passing cars but clever Tufty always remembered to look both ways. Now comes Savvy Squ

Defence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

City firms bank on ‘savvy’ advertising campaign to push Brits towards investing

The campaign, fronted by a CGI squirrel, is part of government initiative to boost financial risk taking, amid fears UK growth is being stymied Nils Pratley: the ‘Savvy Squirrel looks a hit too tame’ City firms are pinning their hopes on a government-endorsed advertising blitz fronted by a finance “savvy” CGI squirrel to encourage cautious British savers to shift out of cash and start investing. The long-awaited retail investment campaign, which will cost up to £50m, is part of the chancellor

Defence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

UK to pay France another £660m to curb Channel crossings

Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boats The UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats. Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be emp

ImmigrationDefenceRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Britain’s military dependence on US ‘no longer tenable’, says former Nato chief

Lord Robertson says diplomatic tone from White House is at ‘historic low’ and two allies are likely to keep diverging UK politics live – latest updates Britain’s high military dependence on the US “is no longer tenable” and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship with Washington, a former Nato chief has warned. Lord Robertson, who last week accused British leaders of a “corrosive complacency” towards defence, said on Wednesday the traditional allies were diver

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Ministers speak out in cabinet meeting over Starmer’s sacking of Olly Robbins

Sources say cabinet ministers warned PM against alienating civil service after firing of official over Mandelson scandal UK politics live – latest updates Cabinet ministers have expressed concern about Keir’s Starmer’s decision to sack Olly Robbins as the Foreign Office’s top official over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal as they warned him not to alienate the civil service, sources have told the Guardian. Several ministers spoke out about the decision to sack Robbins during a gloomy cabine

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Taxes on UK workers have risen at fastest rate in rich world, says OECD

Survey by global economic forum shows ‘tax wedge’ in Britain increased to 32.4% of income in 2025 Business live – latest updates Taxes on workers in Britain rose at the fastest rate among the world’s richest economies last year, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. With Labour under pressure on the economy amid the Iran war, the OECD said a key measure of the total tax paid by workers and their employers rose by the most in the 38-member club of rich nations

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

UK firms to face tougher checks on export licences to bolster sanctions on Russia

News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effort British firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine. Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufacturers to obtain a licence if they want to export to a country suspected of acting as a staging pos

Defence