News

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

PM told to quit as senior civil servant set to face more Mandelson questions

Sir Keir Starmer has used his St George's Day speech to warn of "voices both here and abroad" seeking to stoke division in Britain.

UK and France strike new £662m small boats deal

The three-year agreement will see at least 50 riot-trained police officers drafted in to tackle violence and “hostile crowds”.

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

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

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-keir-starmer-peter-mandelson-vetting-commons-iran-war-olly-robbins-12593360?postid=11567022#liveblog-body'>Riot police to be deployed to stop small boat crossings</a>

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

Farmers ‘forced to throw away food’ in new Keir Starmer Brexit betrayal

The UK's adoption of EU rules could force farmers to throw away oven chips, bread, cake and crisps, a major industry figure has warned.

Labour given bombshell warning over migrant hotel and cash support - 'not far enough'

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will revoke European laws to automatically provide arrivals with support.

State pension triple lock warning as Labour and Tories told they face 'annihilation'

Catastrophe awaits those who dare to scrap the anti-poverty policy, as most Brits want it to stay

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

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