64 m. ago Starmer forced to deny breaking Labour manifesto as experts sound dire warning over Budget plans

Damning assessment came as chancellor and prime minister forced to defend plans and insist they did not breach manifesto promises

Events

4 h. ago Budget 2025 live: IFS warn Rachel Reeves she is ‘disincentivising growth’ after Starmer defends tax rises

Reeves admits Budget will mean working people will have to ‘contribute a bit more’ - but denies breaking manifesto pledge

Events

6 h. ago Starmer says budget did not break manifesto tax pledge and scrapping two

PM says: ‘We kept to our manifesto in terms of what we’ve promised. But I accept the challenge that we’ve asked everybody to contribute’Ask the Guardian your budget questionsShare your views on the new ‘mansion tax’Budget calculator: find out if you are better or worse offThe Conservative party is attacking the budget on the grounds that Rachel Reeves is putting up taxes supposedly to fund more spending on benefit claimants. Even though the rationale for this claim is questionable, the Tories were making it before the budget was announced, and Kemi Badenoch firmed it up last night, claiming it was a “Benefits Street budget”.On LBC this morning, asked if the budget meant “alarm clock Britain paying for Benefits Street”, Reeves said she did not accept that. She said 60% of the families that would benefit from the removal of the two-child benefit cap (the most expensive welfare announcement in the budget) were in work.I don’t think children should be punished by this pernicious policy ...

Economics

6 h. ago Budget 2025 live: Starmer says ‘everyone must contribute’ as he defends Rachel Reeves’ tax rises

Reeves admits Budget will mean working people will have to ‘contribute a bit more’ - but denies breaking manifesto pledge

Economics

8 h. ago Reeves should have included more tax reform in budget to help growth, IFS thinktank says – UK politics live

Institute for Fiscal Studies director says chancellors continue to ‘shy away from meaningful tax reform that could move the dial’Ask the Guardian your budget questionsShare your views on the new ‘mansion tax’ Budget calculator: find out if you are better or worse offThe Conservative party is attacking the budget on the grounds that Rachel Reeves is putting up taxes supposedly to fund more spending on benefit claimants. Even though the rationale for this claim is questionable, the Tories were making it before the budget was announced, and Kemi Badenoch firmed it up last night, claiming it was a “Benefits Street budget”.On LBC this morning, asked if the budget meant “alarm clock Britain paying for Benefits Street”, Reeves said she did not accept that. She said 60% of the families that would benefit from the removal of the two-child benefit cap (the most expensive welfare announcement in the budget) were in work.I don’t think children should be punished by this pernicious policy any lo...

Politics

8 h. ago Sadly, this taxing Reeves Budget does nothing for business or growth

Labour has no ministers with any business experience and appear deaf and unsympathetic to what is required for growth.

Economics

8 h. ago Budget 2025 live: IFS accuses Rachel Reeves of breaking tax manifesto promise in damning Budget verdict

Reeves admits Budget will mean working people will have to ‘contribute a bit more’ - but denies breaking manifesto pledge

Economics

8 h. ago Reeves should be more ambitious on tax reform to boost economic growth – IFS

The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ director Helen Miller called on the Chancellor to be more ambitious about measures to boost growth.

Economics

8 h. ago Net migration to UK drops 69% year on year, ONS figures show

Figure of 204,000 in 12 months to June 2025 is lowest since 2021, statistics body saysUK politics live – latest updatesNet migration to the UK has fallen by more than two-thirds to 204,000 in a single year, the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the latest official statistics.Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there was a 69% drop from 649,000 in the number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating, in the year to June 2025. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Reeves dismisses Tory claims of ‘Benefits Street budget’ – UK politics live

Chancellor says 60% of families that will be better off after the two-child limit is scrapped are in workAsk the Guardian your budget questionsBudget calculator: find out if you are better or worse offThe Conservative party is attacking the budget on the grounds that Rachel Reeves is putting up taxes supposedly to fund more spending on benefit claimants. Even though the rationale for this claim is questionable, the Tories were making it before the budget was announced, and Kemi Badenoch firmed it up last night, claiming it was a “Benefits Street budget”.On LBC this morning, asked if the budget meant “alarm clock Britain paying for Benefits Street”, Reeves said she did not accept that. She said 60% of the families that would benefit from the removal of the two-child benefit cap (the most expensive welfare announcement in the budget) were in work.I don’t think children should be punished by this pernicious policy any longer. And the cost to society of this is huge, the cost for counci...

Politics

10 h. ago Budget 2025 live: OBR chief warns Rachel Reeves none of her measures boost growth as chancellor defends tax rises

Reeves admits Budget will mean working people will have to ‘contribute a bit more’ - but denies breaking manifesto pledge

Events

10 h. ago House prices officially forecast to rise £33,000 by 2030 as new Budget property taxes slow growth

The typical home will increase in value by around £33,000 between now and 2030, according to the latest forecast from the OBR. 

Economics

11 h. ago Budget 2025 live: Rachel Reeves admits ‘working people will pay more’ but denies breaking manifesto tax pledge

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch brands package of measures ‘a smorgasbord of misery’ and urges chancellor to resign

Economics

13 h. ago UK Budget 2025: Labour's £26 billion tax gamble risks choking off economic growth

If the economy fails to improve, Labour’s troubles and poll ratings will only get worse

Economics

16 h. ago Washington DC shooting: Trump calls shooting of national guard members ‘an act of terror’, vows new scrutiny of immigrants – latest updates

President pledged crackdown on Afghan immigrants following reports that suspect entered US from Afghanistan in 2021Two West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events

17 h. ago Washington DC shooting: suspect in attack on national guard members identified as Afghan national – latest updates

Law enforcement officials tell AP and other outlets the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in 2021; two guardsmen remain in critical conditionTwo West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events

18 h. ago Washington DC shooting: suspect in attack on national guard members identified as 29

Law enforcement officials tell AP and other outlets the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in 2021; two guardsmen remain in critical conditionTwo West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events

20 h. ago Washington DC shooting: video suggests ‘lone gunman’ shot two national guard members near White House, say Washington DC police – latest updates

Gunman ‘ambushed’ troops and both guardsmen are being treated for gunshot wounds, says assistant chief of DC’s Metropolitan police departmentTwo West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Washington DC shooting: Pentagon deploying 500 more national guard troops to city after two guardsmen were shot near White House

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the additional troops are being sent in after request by president Trump; both guardsmen in critical condition, officials sayTwo West Virginia national guard members shot in Washington DCBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events

22 h. ago Washington DC shooting: two national guardsmen’s condition unclear as West Virginia governor walks back earlier post

West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey now says his office is awaiting ‘more complete information’ after two guardsmen from his state were shot near White HouseTwo West Virginia national guard members shot near White HouseBloomberg’s scoop showing how Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on the best way to get into Trump’s good graces is extraordinary for what it tells us about Witkoff’s dubious loyalties, and the Kremlin’s potential influence over US negotiation efforts. But equally interesting is the leaked material itself and where it may have come from.The story covers two intercepted phone calls: one between Witkoff and top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and another between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, who has been deeply involved in negotiations with the Trump White House. Continue reading...

Events