12 h. ago 'Rachel Reeves looks exhausted. She can't deliver': Labour ministers drip poison to DAN HODGES on why the Chancellor is doomed... and tell the woeful reason she thinks it's all gone wrong

It was the expression that spoke for a nation. As Rachel Reeves delivered her speech on new transport investment, workers at the Mellor Bus factory appeared less than impressed.

Politics

41 h. ago Voices: What will happen next in the Musk v Trump civil war?

The end of their bromance was not as inevitable as some would have you believe, writes Sean O’Grady – but now that it’s happened, it’ll be us who pays the price

Politics

62 h. ago US warns Starmer it is 'important' UK hits new Nato target for spending 3.5% of GDP on defence as Labour struggles to balance the books

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered the message as he met ministers from the military alliance in Brussels.

Events

5 d. ago Voices: That’s fighting talk, prime minister – but can you deliver?

In the face of Russian aggression, Keir Starmer says he must ready the country for war, by increasing military spending and building a platoon of nuclear submarines – but, as Mark Almond cautions, perhaps the only thing the Ministry of Defence can be guaranteed to produce on time are defence reviews

Politics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on the calls to save Gaza: Palestinians need deeds, not words | Editorial

Israel faces growing international condemnation. But more is required to restore aid and bring a ceasefireThe UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher fears that thousands of babies are at imminent risk of death in Gaza unless aid reaches them. Benjamin Netanyahu fears that foreign politicians could see too many pictures of Palestinian children like these.Two months after all supplies were cut off, the Israeli government denies the obvious truth: that Gaza is on the brink of famine. But on Monday night the prime minister announced that “minimal” aid deliveries would restart, saying his country’s “greatest friends in the world” had told him that they could not “accept images of mass hunger”. His entirely cynical response saw a handful of trucks permitted to cross; reportedly, 100 a day will now be allowed – grotesquely inadequate given the vast scale of need. Reaching the most vulnerable will be perilous and difficult anyway amid Israel’s intensified offensive. Mr Netanyahu vowed that Isra...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘For indulgence, brioche is king’ – the sweet, buttery bread stealing sourdough’s crown

Once an indicator of wealth, but for years stuck in burger-bun purgatory, the enriched dough is being embraced by a new generation of chefs and bakers for its versatility and delicious complexity‘You shouldn’t have to fight your sandwich,” says Sacha Yonan, his voice rising to compete with the noise of London’s Soho on a Tuesday morning. Within half an hour, queues for the sandwiches at Crunch, the cafe he co-founded earlier this year, will be snaking out of its doors. Its secret? Fresh brioche, which comes toasted and filled with ingredients that give the place its name, including southern-fried chicken, baby pickles and lettuce. “We love a sourdough,” says Joni Francisco, his Crunch co-founder. “But if you’re talking about sandwiches, then you need something with an easier mouthfeel.”Could brioche be the new sourdough? Insofar as anything can be, sourdough being to bread what black is to fashion. In 2023, the humble white sliced loaf was hailed as a better sandwich bread than sour...

Events

3 w. ago Post Office scandal victims share hope of turning tragedy to triumph with BGT win

Hear Our Voice choir set sights on taking their fight all the way to the King with victory on the ITV talent show

Events

3 w. ago UK asking other countries to host ‘return hubs’ for refused asylum seekers, Starmer confirms – UK politics live

PM on trip to announce increased cooperation against people smugglers alongside Albania’s prime minister, Edi RamaAll Commons Speakers, at least for the past 30 years, have complained about the government making major announcements to the media first, and not to parliament first. But rarely have any of them sounded quite as furious about this as Lindsay Hoyle, who this morning delivered an extended reprimand to the government about this at the start of an urgent question.The UQ was about plans to limit the use of prison recall – something announced by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, at a press conference yesterday, while the Commons was still sitting. After pointing this out, and reminding MPs that details of the immigration white paper were given to the media extensively, long before the ministerial statement about it was delivered in the Commons on Monday, Hoyle went on to imply that, as well as regularly breaking the ministerial code, ministers were also guilty of hypocri...

Politics

3 w. ago Canadian PM criticises UK invitation to Trump for second state visit

Mark Carney says Canadians ‘not very impressed’ after Keir Starmer delivered invitation to US president in FebruaryCanada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has criticised Britain’s invitation to Donald Trump for a second state visit, saying it undermined his government’s effort to project a united front against the US president’s talk of annexing Canada.Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly said he wants Canada to become the 51st US state, a suggestion that has angered Canadians and left Britain trying to tread a fine line between the two North American countries. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago No 10 defends Starmer’s language on immigration likened to Enoch Powell speech

Downing Street says it is wrong to compare PM’s warning about ‘island of strangers’ to 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speechDowning Street has robustly defended Keir Starmer’s language on immigration, which has been likened to that used by Enoch Powell, rejecting the direct comparison but saying the prime minister would not “shy away” from direct talk about the subject.A series of MPs criticised Starmer for his rhetoric when introducing a new policy paper on immigration on Monday, particularly his warning that the UK risked becoming “an island of strangers”, a near-direct echo of language used by Powell in his infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago No plans to reintroduce freedom of movement or customs union, MPs told

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds says Labour will ‘deliver its manifesto’ rather than rejoining EU initiatives.

Politics