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The Guardian Politics16 Apr 2026

Contingency plans in place for possible food shortages if Iran war continues, minister confirms – UK politics live

Peter Kyle did not dispute Times’ report that under a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ supermarkets might start running out of some items The SNP is to bring in a national ban on smartphones in classes if it wins May’s Holyrood election, John Swinney has pledged. As the Press Association reports, the first minister and SNP leader insisted the devices were “a distraction from learning” pledging legislation after the election to ban them across Scotland. PA says: Currently head teachers have the p

PoliticsDefenceEducationHousing
The Guardian Politics16 Apr 2026

CEO of bitcoin firm championed by Nigel Farage leaves company

Resignation announced of Jai Patel, whose liquidated crypto firm was relaunched as Stack BTC this year The chief executive of a bitcoin company promoted by Nigel Farage has left his role as the venture attempts to convince investors that it is going to deliver “long-term value” for shareholders. Stack BTC was launched to much fanfare in March this year, with Farage and former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng becoming some of its first shareholders. The company says its founder is Paul Withers, a friend

DefenceReform
The Guardian Politics16 Apr 2026

Is Keir Starmer ‘complacent’ on defence? – podcast

Keir Starmer has hit back at Labour peer George Robertson’s criticisms about defence funding. Why has the government been slow to prioritise defence and what trade-offs is Keir Starmer willing to make in order to increase spending? Guardian Live: Can Labour come back from the brink? With a difficult set of May elections approaching, Labour under threat from the Green party and Reform UK, and Keir Starmer’s popularity in freefall, can he survive as leader of the Labour party? The Guardian’s Gaby

PoliticsDefenceEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Reeves gives more energy bill support to businesses as Iran war pushes up costs

Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next year Rachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict. The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...

Defence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Boosting military spending by slashing welfare is not the answer, senior Labour figures warn Reeves

MPs and peers say pitting defence and welfare against each other risks losing public support for increased spending on the military Senior Labour figures have warned that Rachel Reeves must find alternative ways to increase military spending rather than slashing welfare, saying it risks public support for investment in defence. Pressure has been mounting from Labour backbenchers for the Treasury to urgently agree the defence investment plan (Dip) after George Robertson, a former Nato secretary g

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Wales’s first minister calls on Keir Starmer to halt US-UK space defence project

Eluned Morgan says US under Donald Trump is ‘not partner it once was’ with Iran threats and ‘contempt’ towards UK Wales’s first minister has called on Keir Starmer to suspend a big joint defence project with the US, saying that under Donald Trump the country is “not the partner it once was”. In a statement on Wednesday, Labour’s Eluned Morgan cited the US president’s “contempt” towards the UK and his threat to “annihilate” Iran as reasons to halt the development of the Deep Space Advanced Radar

Defence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Reeves steps up criticism of Trump’s Iran war, branding it a ‘mistake’

UK chancellor tells US audience she is ‘not convinced that this conflict has made the world a safer place’ Middle East crisis – live updates Business live – latest updates Rachel Reeves has stepped up her criticism of Donald Trump’s war on Iran, describing it as a “mistake” that has destabilised the global economy and damaged living standards around the world. In a marked fraying of the transatlantic relationship, the UK chancellor said Trump breaking off from diplomatic talks with Iran and l

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Government’s 1.5m housebuilding target in England is suffering subsidence | Nils Pratley

As the country’s biggest housebuilder cuts land buying and the Iran war pushes up costs, setting an ambitious figure appears even more foolish This is what the government didn’t want to hear when its target to build 1.5m new homes in England during this parliament already looked out of reach. The country’s biggest housebuilder is trimming its purchases of new land because the Iran war has created “a less certain backdrop”. Barratt Redrow’s “disciplined approach” isn’t a downing of tools, it shou

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Reform or Plaid? Whichever way Welsh voters go, the country will be utterly transformed | Will Hayward

Each party has its own version of nationalism to offer voters in May’s Senedd election: closer ties to England or more independence for Wales It’s fair to say that the UK will change after the elections on 7 May. But few places will change as thoroughly as Wales. The polls suggest that after the vote our next Senedd will be led by either Plaid Cymru or Reform: this would make it the first time in 100 years that Welsh Labour is not the largest party in Cymru. However, Plaid and Reform’s visions f

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Starmer rejects accusation that Labour is ‘complacent’ on defence funding

PM responds to warnings by former Nato chief George Robertson, saying defence spending is increasing rapidly UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has said he does not agree with George Robertson’s comments about the government’s “corrosive complacency” on defence funding, as the prime minister faced sustained pressure on the issue. Questioned in the Commons about the warnings by Robertson, the former Labour defence secretary and Nato chief who co-authored a defence review for the gov

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

Scottish Labour leader calls claim he tried to do Reform deal a ‘desperate lie’

Anas Sarwar says there have been ‘no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with Reform’ UK politics live – latest updates Anas Sarwar has dismissed as “a desperate lie from a desperate man” a claim by Reform UK’s Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the hard-right party to keep the Scottish National party out of power. Offord made the claim on Channel 4’s Scottish leaders’ debate on Tuesday evening, alleging the Scottish Labour leader ca

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics15 Apr 2026

UK’s largest housebuilder to buy less land, in blow to Labour’s homes target

Barratt Redrow blames effects of Iran war, and likely impact on mortgage rates and costs, for further reduction Business live – latest updates Britain’s largest housebuilder is planning to dramatically cut back on buying new land, blaming the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and putting Labour’s ambitious housebuilding target under more pressure. Barratt Redrow said it intends to approve between 7,000 and 9,000 plots of land for purchase in its current financial year, far lower than p

DefenceHousing