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295 headlines found — Page 7 of 25

The Guardian Politics23 May 2026

GLA considering investigation into Zack Polanski over houseboat council tax

Official assessing formal complaint into Green party leader’s potential ‘breach of conduct’ as assembly member London assembly officials are weighing up whether to launch an investigation into Zack Polanski after he admitted he may have failed to pay the correct council tax while living on a houseboat in the capital. The Green party leader has faced questions over whether the houseboat, moored in east London, was his primary residence. A spokesperson for his party had described the situation as

EconomyEnvironment
The Guardian Politics23 May 2026

Reeves’s tax cut on children’s meals a political ‘soundbite’, say restaurateurs

Chancellor’s measure to help families save money during summer holidays ‘won’t make any difference’ Cutting tax on children’s meals is a political “soundbite” that will make little difference to families or businesses, restaurateurs have said. This week, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, announced a temporary reduction in VAT on the children’s menu in restaurants from 20% to 5% between June and September, in order to help families with the cost of living crisis and offer a boost to the hospitality

PoliticsEconomyHealthcare
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

UK pitched single market for goods with EU, as it pursues deeper trade ties

Exclusive: Top official presented idea in Brussels, but sources say EU rebuffed it The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal. During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office’s top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK’s economic relationship with the bloc. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

The Guardian view on Britain’s coming energy shock: mini-measures won’t suffice | Editorial

Consumer giveaways may soften the blow from the the war on Iran. But Britain’s vulnerability demands deeper state intervention and a faster transition Rachel Reeves’s announcement of a series of cost of living measures this week shows a government trying to prove it still has agency and relevance. The VAT cuts on summer attractions such as theme parks and soft-play centres, free bus rides for the under-16s in England and reduced import tariffs on food are politically useful, but they do not fund

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Wes Streeting insists he can win Labour leadership race despite ‘underdog’ status

In interview with Guardian, former health secretary sets out plans for government, including social care, tax and refugees Wes Streeting has insisted he can win over the Labour left, as he launches a shadow campaign for the party leadership, saying he has “beaten the odds” throughout his life and can do so again. The former health secretary, who called on Keir Starmer to resign as he quit the cabinet last week, warned Labour MPs that drifting on with Starmer in charge risked a Joe Biden situatio

PoliticsEconomyImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Ditched government projects lost taxpayer £6.6bn last year, watchdog says

Spending committee finds MoD most wasteful and also points to cancelled schemes such as Rwanda and Stonehenge Cancelled government projects such as the Rwanda deportation scheme and the road tunnel under Stonehenge are wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money a year, parliament’s spending watchdog has found. About £6.6bn was written off by government departments last year alone – state spending that did not achieve its intended objectives or create any value for the taxpayer, the public acco

PoliticsEconomyImmigrationRemigration
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Prospect of Labour leadership race brings out different sides of rivals

Burnham and Streeting’s latest stances confound caricatures of left and right as party faces electoral bind The Labour party has seemed to inhabit three parallel worlds over the past fortnight. There is a prime minister celebrating good news on the economy and lower migration figures and breezily insisting he will fight the next election, but with his party intent on deposing him. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomyImmigrationHousing
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Reeves cuts VAT on summer days out to 5% as part of cost of living support

Chancellor says she will raise tax on global oil giants to help meet costs of plans and confirms freeze on fuel duty increases Business live – latest updates Rachel Reeves will cut VAT to 5% on summer attractions such as theme parks and softplay centres during the school holidays, as she aims to ease the impact of the war in Iran on cash-strapped households. The chancellor told MPs on Thursday she would also raise more tax from global oil firms operating in the UK, to help meet the costs of he

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Streeting calls for equal tax on income and capital gains in Labour leadership pitch

MP says current system is unfair and his idea would result in a ‘wealth tax that works’ UK politics live – latest updates Former health secretary Wes Streeting has set out plans for a “wealth tax that works”, by equalising tax on assets and income. Streeting said the current system – in which capital gains tax is generally much lower than income tax – was not fair and penalised work, arguing the taxes should be equalised. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomyHousing
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Rich already being taxed properly, says minister, as Streeting calls for ‘wealth tax that works’– UK politics live

Treasury’s Lucy Rigby says Rachel Reeves introduced measures in her first budget as Streeting calls for capital gains rates to be aligned with income tax Good morning. It’s a big day for Rachel Reeves, the chancellor. In a Commons statement, she is announcing a series of measures to help people with the cost of living. She wants people to enjoy a “Great British summer”, she says. Reeves’s plan for what makes for a good summer is not quite the same as Samantha Niblett’s; the chancellor is talking

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

All this talk about ‘difficult’ cuts, yet the largest part of Britain’s welfare bill is never mentioned. Why? | Zoe Williams

Pensioners vote and young people don’t, so the truism goes. That’s no longer any reason to avoid dealing with the triple lock Nothing makes you feel more like a de-developing nation than being reprimanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Rachel Reeves can take solace in trace amounts from the fact that the IMF advised her only to “stay the course” on spending limits – whatever energy or inflation crises are down the line, she shouldn’t cave to demands for government support. Basically,

Economy
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Manchester shows biggest fall in inner-city deprivation in boost for Burnham

City made outsized contribution to falling levels of deprivation between 2010 and 2025, thinktank finds Manchester has recorded the biggest fall in inner-city deprivation in Britain, according to a report, as Andy Burnham stakes a claim that he could replicate the city’s revival nationwide. As the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer, the Greater Manchester mayor has placed the city’s economic performance at the heart of his campaign, describing “Manchesterism” as a political philosophy for a mo

PoliticsEconomy