Starmer: ‘Viable plan’ needed for Trump’s Strait of Hormuz request March 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has said he is still in discussions to draw up a “viable, collective plan” with European allies in response to President Trump’s call for help in the Strait of Hormuz. In a press conference on Monday, the Prime Minister insisted that the country would “not be drawn into the wider war” in [...]
Starmer urged to tighten law on Slapps following Mandelson scandal March 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to tighten the law to prevent the powerful and wealthy from stopping stories about them, following the Lord Mandelson scandal. A dozen Labour MPs have written to the Prime Minister to ensure that strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as Slapps, is included in the King’s Speech in May. [...]
Will Thames Water’s latest rescue package pass muster? March 16, 2026 Thames Water’s latest rescue package has been designed to fend off the public’s criticism of the way the company has been mismanaged. In a statement, Thames Water said the new detail would comprise £6.6bn of new debt – including £3.3bn accessible on day one of the rescue plan being implemented – which will be provided [...]
Manufacturers warn of ‘fragile footing’ as Iran war threatens to hike costs March 16, 2026 UK manufacturing has started the year on “fragile footing,” with its economic standing likely to worsen due to the conflict in the Middle East, the sector’s industry has warned. A new report from Make UK revealed the sector is set to grow by just shy one one per cent in 2026, a modest rebound after [...]
Children today will ‘work until 75’ amid pensions timebomb, think tank warns March 15, 2026 Children currently in primary school are set to work until the age of 75 as the “collapsing” birthrate blows a black hole in public finances, a think tank has warned. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has released a report claiming the UK is heading towards a “demographic cliff edge”. The report suggests the state [...]
Ed Miliband rejects ‘totally false’ calls to drill North Sea March 15, 2026 Ed Miliband has dismissed calls for the UK to exploit the North Sea’s oil supply, despite widespread calls to drill the area as fears of an energy shock rise amidst the war in the Middle East. The energy secretary said: “Some people want to go around and pretend that if we only we draw more [...]
Trump calls on Starmer to help secure Strait of Hormuz March 14, 2026 President Trump has called on Sir Keir Starmer to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, the critical stretch of water near Iran for a fifth of the world’s global oil supply. In a post on Truth Social, Trump demanded that China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK send war ships to the region to [...]
Oil crisis to ‘push UK into recession’ after growth flatlines March 13, 2026 Fears that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East will plunge the UK into a recession have been amplified after fresh figures revealed the economy flatlined in January. The price of oil closed above $100 for the first time since 2022 last night as interventions from the global energy body failed to calm markets amid [...]
‘Taxed to a standstill’ – UK economy grinds to a halt with no growth in January March 13, 2026 The UK economy saw zero growth in the first month of the year – before global markets were rocked by the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have handed a major blow to Rachel Reeves with the economy flat in January, compared to the 0.2 [...]
‘Cover up’: Starmer blames vetting amid process questions on Mandelson March 12, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman has blamed the vetting process inherited from previous governments for Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment despite accusations that the Prime Minister did not follow ministerial procedures and oversaw a “cover up”. Starmer’s spokesman said the government was looking to reform the due diligence process and national security vetting procedure for major appointments. [...]