4 h. ago The Guardian view on the Send crisis: Bridget Phillipson must be tough with the Treasury so children aren’t penalised | Editorial

Tory special needs reforms upended council finances, but Labour’s plan to rebuild public provision won’t come cheap if it’s done properlyThe crisis over special educational needs and disabilities in England is not just a question of cash. Children and parents spend months and years battling for support to which the law entitles them, schools lack the funding to meet needs, and specialist provision is inadequate. An adversarial system shunts families towards tribunals that councils almost invariably lose.Tory reforms created obligations for local authorities but did not adequately fund them – allowing ministers to duck responsibility. The result has been financial chaos, with the overall overspend on special educational needs and disabilities (Send) predicted to reach £6.6bn by next March, and keep rising. Taking responsibility for funding away from councils and handing it to the Department for Education is the right move. But the most important questions about Send go beyond account...

Events

10 h. ago Reeves fights for political survival amid claims she misled public on Budget

The Chancellor insisted she was ‘honest and frank’ about the public finances after opposition figures accused her of exaggerating the scale of the Budget’s black hole

Events

10 h. ago Reeves refuses to guarantee OBR chief's job amid Treasury fury at Budget leak and letter detailing when Chancellor was told there was no hole in the public finances

Rachel Reeves offered only lukewarm support for Richard Hughes amid Treasury anger at the Budget leak and revelations about the forecast timetable.

Economics

10 h. ago Reeves rejects claims she misled public over Budget ‘black hole’

The Chancellor insisted she was ‘honest and frank’ about the public finances after opposition figures accused her of exaggerating the scale of the Budget’s black hole

Politics

14 h. ago Rachel Reeves latest: Starmer to back chancellor as she faces growing pressure over Budget black hole row

Downing Street denies claims that Rachel Reeves misled the public about a £20 billion black hole in the public finances

Events

14 h. ago Starmer stands by Reeves as claims grow she misled public on finances

Downing Street says Reeves’ remarks were ‘entirely accurate’ as pressure grows over claims she misled voters

Politics

23 h. ago Reeves must go for her Budget lies, say voters: Poll delivers damning verdict on Chancellor as No 10 admits that PM also knew there was no 'black hole'

A Mail on Sunday poll found a majority of more than two to one in favour of her quitting after the fiscal watchdog revealed it told the Chancellor months ago that there was no hole in the public finances.

Politics

48 h. ago 'Liar' Reeves must go now: Chancellor accused of 'deliberately crashing the economy' with Benefits Street Budget and faces call to resign after 'lying' to the nation

In an extraordinary move, the fiscal watchdog yesterday revealed that the Chancellor was told months ago that there was no hole in the public finances.

Events

52 h. ago No 10 denies Reeves misled public over the UK's finances ahead of Budget

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the Chancellor had ‘lied to the public’ and should be sacked

Economics

54 h. ago Rachel Reeves 'lied to Brits about £21bn black hole to justify Benefits Street tax raid on workers'

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a series of extraordinary grim warnings about the state of the government's books in the run-up to the Budget.

Economics

55 h. ago Rachel Reeves accused of 'lying' as OBR watchdog reveals she was told MONTHS before Budget there was NO hole in the public finances... but still talked up misery to cover brutal tax hikes

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a series of extraordinary grim warnings about the state of the government's books in the run-up to the Budget.

Economics

3 d. ago ‘You will be worse off’: Martin Lewis reveals what Rachel Reeves’s Budget will mean for your wallet

The chancellor unveiled £26 billion worth of tax hikes to close a large hole in the public finances

Politics

3 d. ago Pull the other one, Chancellor! Reeves insists £30bn Budget tax hike was the 'absolute minimum'... despite OBR watchdog downgrade being just £6bn and huge sums going on benefits

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she 'had' to impose more pain on the country even though the Treasury's own watchdog only told her there was a £6billion hole in the public finances.

Economics

3 d. ago Use our interactive calculator to work out how the Autumn Budget will affect you

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her second Budget and laid out a series of tax rises as she aims to fill a black hole in the public finances

Economics

3 d. ago Burst in AI bubble could blow £26bn hole in Rachel Reeve's hopes of balancing the books

It was the first time the Office for Budget Responsibility has outlined how public finances could be affected if the rally in tech stocks sparked by the boom in artificial intelligence crashes.

Economics

4 d. ago Rachel Reeves says budget will cut living costs after shock OBR leak

Chancellor unveils action on energy bills, rail fares and two-child benefit cap as she reveals £26bn tax risesHow does freezing tax thresholds affect your tax bill?Budget 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves has declared her budget will slash living costs for millions including ending the two-child benefit limit and cutting energy bills, but taxes are set to soar by £26bn to plug a gaping shortfall in the public finances.Major measures in the budget leaked early in a shock accidental release by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), triggering an instant bond market reaction an hour before the chancellor was on her feet in the House of Commons. After months of speculation, Reeves said her measures would put the public finances on a sustainable path while building “a fairer, a stronger, a more secure Britain” by tackling inflation and investing in large infrastructure projects. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Budget 2025 live: Rachel Reeves announces £26bn plan for income tax, pensions and ISA cuts after OBR leak

Chancellor unveils series of tax hikes to fill black hole in public finances in addition to ditching two-child benefit cap and changes to ISAs

Economics

4 d. ago From mansion tax to cash ISA changes: Key announcements in Reeves’ Budget

The chancellor has unveiled £26bn worth of tax rises in the Commons as she attempts to plug a multi-billion pound gap in Britain’s ailing public finances

Economics

4 d. ago Budget 2025 live: Rachel Reeves delivers £26bn tax rises after OBR leaks plan early

Chancellor unveils series of tax hikes to fill black hole in public finances in addition to ditching two-child benefit cap and changes to ISAs

Economics

4 d. ago From mansion tax to cash ISA changes: Key takeaways from Reeves’ Budget

The chancellor has unveiled £26bn worth of tax rises in the Commons as she attempts to plug a multi-billion pound gap in Britain’s ailing public finances

Economics