20 minutes ago UK politics live: Badenoch refuses to commit to reversing rise in employers’ national insurance in speech at CBI

Tory leader says she will not ‘comment on every bit of micro-policy’Q: Are you feeling the pressure? There is a petition signed by 2 million people calling for another election.Starmer says he is not surprised that people who did not support Labour in the first place want the election to be re-run. But that is not how the system worked.I’m not surprised, quite frankly, that as we’re doing the tough stuff, there are plenty of people who say, ‘Well, I’m impacted.’I think anybody who’s turned around an organisation or a business will tell you, and they’re right, if you’re really going to turn something around, you have to do the hard yards upfront. Don’t look at a tough decision and then leave it for a year or two.So we’re doing the tough stuff. But in the budget, which is probably the tou...

Politics

21 minutes ago UK politics live: McVitie’s boss says it’s hard to understand why businesses would invest in Britain

CBI chief Rain Newton-Smith said that business had been caught ‘off-guard’ by national insurance hikes

Economics

28 minutes ago Trump’s defense pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over sexual assault claims and attacks on UN and Nato – US politics live

Hegseth comments on the Geneva conventions and new sexual misconduct allegations raise questions over suitability to lead PentagonTrump Pentagon pick urges US to ignore Geneva conventionsIn the last three days president-elect Donald Trump finished up making his major cabinet announcements.If you missed them, here is a quick roundup.Trump chose Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.Trump named Scott Bessent, a longtime hedge-fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, to serve as Treasury secretary.Trump picked Russ Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was OMB chief during Trump’s previous term in office and has been deeply involved in Project 2025 in recent years.Trump announced Sebastian Gor...

Events

40 minutes ago ‘No alternative’: is Rachel Reeves channelling Thatcher? – Politics Weekly Westminster

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how Rachel Reeves’s budget has upset businesses, as the annual CBI conference takes place. Plus, what is the government’s plan for the welfare state and getting Britain ‘back to work’? Continue reading...

Politics

2 hours ago UK politics live: Starmer dismisses online petition calling for new election

PM says it has been driven by people who never backed Labour anywayQ: Are you feeling the pressure? There is a petition signed by 2 million people calling for another election.Starmer says he is not surprised that people who did not support Labour in the first place want the election to be re-run. But that is not how the system worked.I’m not surprised, quite frankly, that as we’re doing the tough stuff, there are plenty of people who say, ‘Well, I’m impacted.’I think anybody who’s turned around an organisation or a business will tell you, and they’re right, if you’re really going to turn something around, you have to do the hard yards upfront. Don’t look at a tough decision and then leave it for a year or two.So we’re doing the tough stuff. But in the budget, which is probably the toug...

Politics

2 hours ago Wall Street heading for record high after Scott Bessent nominated as US Treasury secretary; Barclays fined £40m over 2008 Qatari deal – business live

Bonds rally and dollar dips as investors welcome choice of billionaire hedge fund manager Bessent as next Treasury secretaryNewsflash: A deputy governor at the Bank of England has warned that it is “too early to declare victory” in the fight against inflation.Clare Lombardelli has told a conference at the Bank this morning that inflation has fallen steeply over the past two years. But, she is concerned that there are signs that the process of “wage disinflation” may be slowing, which would keep the cost of living rising faster than the Bank’s target.The outlook for wages and services prices is unclear from here.We need to see more evidence that wage growth and services inflation will continue their journey down to target-consistent rates.The UK economy has made good progress on disinfla...

Economics

3 hours ago UK politics live: safeguarding minister Jess Phillips urges people to intervene if women are being harassed in public

Phillips says people have to be mindful of their own safety but ‘you can definitely ask if someone is alright’Asked what his experience of government has been like, Starmer says he is taking the hard decisions first.I think anybody who’s turned around an organisation or a business will tell you, and they’re right, if you’re really going to turn something around, you have to do the hard yards upfront. Don’t look at a tough decision and then leave it for a year or two.So we’re doing the tough stuff. But in the budget, which is probably the toughest, I’m really pleased that we were able to put so much money into the National Health Service Anybody watching this who uses the NHS will know we absolutely had to make that a priority. Continue reading...

Politics

3 hours ago CBI chief hits out at Reeves after firms face ‘heavy burden’ from tax rises

Confederation of British Industry chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said firms face tough decisions on hiring and investment due to the Budget.

Economics

4 hours ago Trump to kick transgender troops from military as Republicans defend intel nominee Tulsi Gabbard: Live updates

President-elect planning to reinstate ban on trans soldiers as GOP senators back Gabbard despite past expressions of support for Vladimir Putin and Russia

Politics