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180 headlines found — Page 7 of 15

The Guardian Politics6 Apr 2026

Struggling families like mine don’t talk about the cost of living any more – now it’s the cost of survival | Ella Michalski

Trying to make ends meet is an impossible effort, and things are rapidly getting worse. It’s time the government listened to people like us Ella Michalski is part of Changing Realities, a project working with low-income families In times of war, it is right that we focus on the human suffering of those affected by military action. But its ripple effects have worsened an already dire set of living standards for families like mine, who simply cannot meet the rising costs of the most basic of ess

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics5 Apr 2026

New UK farm inheritance tax rule will cause ‘significant challenges’, say accountants

Levy on inherited farms and family businesses worth £2.5m or more comes into force 6 April A new inheritance tax regime for UK farms and family businesses comes into force on Monday and will present “significant challenges” for those affected, according to accountants. In October 2024 the government announced plans to levy inheritance tax on farms – prompting an outcry in many quarters. Continue reading...

Economy
The Guardian Politics4 Apr 2026

Trussonomics still haunts parties’ economic promises in run-up to UK local elections | Phillip Inman

Greens, Reform UK, Your Party, Conservatives and even Lib Dems are making extravagant spending pledges As local and regional elections across the UK loom into view, it is clear the spectre of Trussonomics lives on. The Greens, Reform UK, Your Party, Restore Britain, the Conservatives and even the Liberal Democrats cannot help making extravagant spending promises, often paid for by cutting something or borrowing more that, they argue, will have no negative economic consequences. Or if they do, th

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentReformRestoreRupert Lowe
The Guardian Politics3 Apr 2026

Young people ‘more likely to leave for health reasons when in low-paid, insecure jobs’

Research for TUC analyses link between job quality and economic inactivity, as UK youth unemployment rises Young people in the UK are more likely to leave their job for health reasons and become economically inactive when they work in insecure, low-paid sectors, a study has found. Research carried out for the Trades Union Congress by the consultancy Timewise charts a connection between the jobs young people are most likely to do – in hospitality, retail and care, for example – and the proportion

EconomyHealthcare
The Guardian Politics3 Apr 2026

Cost of living tsar urges Starmer to extend fuel duty cut in light of Iran war

Richard Walker says any planned September rate rise should be scrapped to reflect increase in petrol prices A cut to fuel duty should be extended to reflect the rise in petrol prices, the government’s cost of living champion has said. Richard Walker, executive chair of the supermarket chain Iceland, urged Keir Starmer not to raise the levy in September, in light of the conflict in the Middle East. Continue reading...

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics3 Apr 2026

What I learned from my first few weeks as a Green MP? Most politicians have no clue how tough things are out there | Hannah Spencer

With this escalating cost of living crisis, so many are really suffering – yet Labour lacks the imagination, boldness and will to do anything about it Six weeks ago, I was doing what I’ve always done – working as a plumber in people’s houses. I’d just completed a plastering qualification and was looking forward to putting it to good use. Now, I’m here in parliament, and to call it a culture shock would be an understatement. It’s easy to see why a lot of MPs don’t understand how hard things in th

PoliticsEconomyDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics2 Apr 2026

Starmer must call energy summit akin to 2008 crisis response, Labour MP says

Former government adviser Polly Billington urges bigger steps to shield people in UK from effects of Iran war Middle East crisis – live updates Keir Starmer should convene a global energy summit of the same order as Gordon Brown’s response to the 2008 financial crisis and put Britain on a “war footing” to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels, a Labour MP and former government adviser has said. Polly Billington, who was an aide in Brown’s government, warned that economic pain was “hurtling down

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

Global super-rich may have hidden $3.55tn from tax officials, says Oxfam

Charity calls for a levy on the very richest and the closing of tax loopholes in its report on offshore wealth The global super-rich may have as much as $3.55tn hidden away from tax authorities, according to estimates by Oxfam. The charity renewed its call for a wealth levy and urged governments to close tax loopholes as it published its latest analysis of the scale of offshore holdings. Continue reading...

Economy
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

A third inflationary shock in less than a decade is coming: who will pay the price this time around? | Aditya Chakrabortty

Brutal past experience has taught us that a cost of living crisis doesn’t affect us all the same, because we don’t all go into it with the same income or wealth Perhaps the most celebrated writer on oil markets is Daniel Yergin. His work has won a Pulitzer and his advice sought by every president from Bill Clinton to Donald Trump. Let’s start by looking at an example. Fifteen years ago, before the US and Israel started their war on Iran, killing thousands of civilians in the process, before the

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

Starmer’s ‘five-point plan’ was not a plan | Nils Pratley

Two of the points were measures on energy bills from the autumn budget, another restated the existing energy strategy “We have a five-point plan for the immediate crisis,” declared the prime minister during his remarks from Downing Street on Wednesday. Really? Two of his five points were measures on energy bills that pre-date the Iran war. One was a description of support for a sub-set of consumers but dodged the key question of who else could get help. Another stated the government’s longstandi

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

UK needs ‘ambitious’ new EU ties amid Iran war, Starmer says

PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for ‘dangerous world’ in pivot away from US Britain’s long-term national interest requires closer partnership with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, citing the war in the Gulf and the increasingly “volatile” international situation. The prime minister indicated that the conflict had re-focused the government on “ambitious” new ties with Europe, economically and in defence, and said that how Britain emerged from the crisis “would define us for

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves signals that support package for household energy bills won’t kick in until autumn – UK politics live

Chancellor says the government is looking at ways they can support people based on household income Good morning. Keir Starmer is giving a press conference this morning where, according to No 10, he will discuss the Iran war, and how the government is supporting people at home. Now we are in April, the new financial year is starting, and the government is highlighting measures it has introduced that will help people with the cost of living. The Conservatives have an alternative list, and they a

PoliticsEconomyDefence