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The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

UK could face ‘hacktivist attacks at scale’, says head of security agency

Officials warn a conflict situation could cause disruption similar to recent major ransomware incidents The UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency. Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC de

Defence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

The rush to appease Trump led Keir Starmer into this ethical void | Rafael Behr

Peter Mandelson’s flaws were mistaken for credentials to represent Britain in the court of a rogue president You can’t kill something that is already dead. New details about Peter Mandelson’s disastrous appointment as Britain’s ambassador to Washington can trigger more paroxysms of outrage in Westminster. They can sharpen the pitch of opposition calls for the prime minister to resign. They can reinforce the view among Labour MPs that Keir Starmer shouldn’t lead them into a general election. But

PoliticsDefenceCrime
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Airlines demand UK relax noise rules and cut flight tax as fuel shortage looms

Ministers also asked to alter compensation rights and suspend emissions trading scheme amid Middle East war Airlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East. A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night f

EconomyDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Starmer still faces more questions than answers after Olly Robbins’s quietly damning defence | John Crace

Sacked civil servant told Commons committee there was pressure from No 10 to approve appointment of Mandelson Well, what would you do? You’re a top civil servant with more than 25 years of government service. You’ve worked for Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May. You went through Brexit hell as a lead negotiator. You were sacked by Boris Johnson and were then brought back by Keir Starmer. You land a plum job as permanent undersecretary in the Foreign Office and do your boss a

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

It’s a nightmare on Downing Street: Starmer has no one left to blame for this Mandelson horror show | Marina Hyde

Olly Robbins’s testimony will have been painful for the PM. The No 10 omnishambles was publicly laid bare – and Keir’s fresh out of scapegoats ‘How dare Olly Robbins not have made me look like a chaotic, unprincipled plonker?” is an interesting defence for a prime minister to go for. But we are where we are. Never mind “this is the future liberals want”: this is the past that Keir Starmer wants. What follows is the alternative branch of history the endlessly victimised PM apparently wishes we’d

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

UK jobs market was in a fragile state – even before Iran war threatened recovery

Despite surprise fall in unemployment, weak wage growth and inflation pressures put the squeeze on workers UK unemployment shows surprise fall to 4.9% Business live – latest updates Despite a surprise fall in the unemployment rate, the latest jobs data show the labour market in a fragile state, even before the Iran war threatened to derail the UK’s nascent economic recovery. At 4.9% in the three months to February, the unemployment rate was down from 5.2% in the previous three months, accordi

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics20 Apr 2026

Electricity generators threatened with higher windfall taxes in bid to ensure stable prices

Move marks government’s most radical attempt to weaken impact of soaring wholesale gas prices on electricity costs Clean energy generation exceeded rise in global electricity demand in 2025 Electricity generators will face higher windfall taxes unless they sign up to long-term fixed-price contracts under government plans to protect bill payers from future gas market price shocks, as the Iran war pushes up energy prices. The Treasury will increase a windfall tax on excess profits made by electr

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics20 Apr 2026

Starmer the Incurious asks no questions and sees no Mandy-shaped red flags

Appointing an amoral narcissist was the PM’s biggest crime, but he was keen to breeze past it in the Commons Things could be worse. The prime minister can still catch a break. Some had called Monday’s Commons statement Keir Starmer’s judgment day. But that was a category error. Many Labour MPs had long since made up their minds. Keir wasn’t the right person to be running the country. Just that now, with a war in the Middle East and the local elections early next month, was not the right time to

PoliticsDefenceCrime
The Guardian Politics20 Apr 2026

Ed Miliband to double down on net zero with measures to combat Iran energy shock

As fossil fuel prices soar ‘the era of clean energy security must come of age’, energy secretary will say Ed Miliband will double down on Labour’s commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar “the era of clean energy security must come of age”. The energy secretary is set to announce a package of new policies in a speech on Tuesday in response to an expected energy crisis prompted by Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Continue re

DefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics19 Apr 2026

Starmer will not be swayed by Trump’s ‘small and petty’ insults, says Lammy

Exclusive: deputy PM says UK will not join Iran conflict despite Trump’s sometimes ‘incomprehensible’ social-media barbs Donald Trump’s insults towards Keir Starmer are “small and petty” and designed to put pressure on the prime minister to change his position on Iran, David Lammy has said, as he insisted the UK would not get dragged into the conflict. The deputy prime minister argued the US president should be able to “disagree agreeably” with allies rather than publishing attacks on social med

Defence
The Guardian Politics19 Apr 2026

Labour’s ‘crab-wise’ approach to closer EU ties must address damage of Brexit | Heather Stewart

The damage to the economy dwarfs the upsides from the various non-EU trade deals the UK has struck since 2016 Rachel Reeves joined EU finance ministers for dinner in Washington last week, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund spring meetings: the first time a chancellor had done so since Brexit. It was the latest symbolic step in Labour’s marked shift towards prioritising closer EU relations. Continue reading...

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics19 Apr 2026

MoD has lost track of veterans on recall list, says defence adviser

Exclusive: George Robertson calls on officials to identify the ‘fit and willing’ in UK’s 95,000-strong strategic reserve The Ministry of Defence has lost track of military veterans they intend to recall at a time of national danger, according to a key government adviser. About 95,000 former soldiers and officers are in the strategic reserve but it is claimed that officials have failed to maintain a full record of their contact details. Continue reading...

Defence