War and tax: How the UK economy could get knocked off course Economics Labour ministers may have some reason to be cheerful about the UK economy’s performance. Torsten Bell, the pensions minister who has long desired top jobs in the Treasury, lambasted “gloomsters” shortly after official data revealed growth in the second quarter of the year was 0.4 per cent. Even Rachel Reeves, who has remained largely silent [...]
‘Fantastic news’ as Burnham brings Britain’s AI minister into Cabinet Tech Andy Burnham has promoted Kanishka Narayan to a Cabinet position as Britain’s AI minister as part of his first major government reshuffle, handing artificial intelligence its first dedicated seat at the Cabinet table. Narayan will attend Cabinet for the first time after surviving Burnham’s sweeping reshuffle, which saw several senior ministers leave government and the [...]
Starmer dares Labour rebels to trigger contest if they want him out Politics Sir Keir Starmer has told his Cabinet that challengers need to step up and trigger a contest if they want him to quit. Starmer said he took responsibility for the local election results but refused to resign in a statement to senior government ministers on Tuesday. He told ministers: “As I said yesterday, I take [...]
UK and Trump in new tariff discussions as businesses sound alarm February 22, 2026 The UK is in discussions with the US over President Trump’s latest tariff salvo, a cabinet minister has confirmed, as businesses sound the alarm about the increased rate. President Donald Trump raised his base global tariff rate to 15 per cent on Saturday after the US Supreme Court struck down the authority he used to [...]
Brown dubs Mandelson row as ‘serious’ test for Starmer February 7, 2026 Gordon Brown has increased pressure on Keir Starmer by warning that the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein represents a ‘serious’ test of the prime minister’s authority and judgement. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Brown defended Starmer’s personal integrity but said the Labour leader now faced an urgent task to restore trust after appointing [...]
Burnham launches bid to stand as Labour MP in by-election January 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has confirmed he will run to stand as a candidate for Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election after Andrew Gwynne resigned as an MP. The Manchester Mayor’s application to stand as a candidate now gives senior Labour figures a fresh headache given his openness around his leadership ambitions. He has already received [...]
This is why Starmer’s recent reshuffle is doomed to fail September 11, 2025 Keir Starmer’s personnel switch-up is an attempt to get a firmer grip on his government’s economic policymaking. Helen Thomas lays out why it won’t work. Keir Starmer’s latest cabinet reshuffle was billed as a decisive break from his choppy first year in power. Yet this is less a bold national reset than a desperate rebrand. [...]
Rayner scandal piles pressure on HMRC as tax surveillance force swells September 9, 2025 HMRC has increased the number of staff trained to physically monitor suspected tax evaders, as pressure mounts over Angela Rayner’s £40,000 stamp duty scandal. Official figures, obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) and shared with City AM, show that 337 staff are now trained in covert surveillance, up from 171 people two years ago, in [...]
Senior minister ‘disappointed but not surprised’ at Duffield resignation September 29, 2024 A senior cabinet minister has said he is “disappointed” but “not surprised” at Rosie Duffield’s resignation from the Labour Party. The Canterbury MP’s decision to resign and sit as an independent had been coming “for quite a long time”, Pat McFadden told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show. Duffield announced she was resigning the [...]