News

Sir Keir Starmer stood side-by-side with Volodymyr Zelensky as he accused Russia of “playing games” over peace in Ukraine.Speaking in Paris, the prime minister said Vladimir Putin must be given a deadline to make progress on a ceasefire, as European allies stepped up plans to deploy troops to secure any peace deal.Sir Keir added that the Russian president was “playing games” and attempting to drag the Donald Trump-initiated process out to allow his forces time to continue their assaults on Ukraine. More

Rachel Reeves said she recognised her acceptance of free tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter in concert was “a bit odd”.The Chancellor has faced criticism over her decision to take free tickets to the show before announcing cuts to welfare during Wednesday’s spring statement.Ms Reeves told reporters at a press conference today (26 March) that she is “not personally a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan, being a 46-year-old woman”, but that a member of her family “did want to go and see that concert”.The chancellor said she is “not in a position” to “easily just go and sit in a concert”. More

A Labour minister has apologised for comparing disability benefit cuts to children’s pocket money.Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, attempted to defend Labour’s welfare cuts, announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in the spring statement on Wednesday (26 March).He told BBC Politics Live: “My understanding is what the impact assessment doesn’t account for is the benefit that you get from our additional money into support for training, skills or work.“Take, for example, if I said to my kids, ‘I’m going to cut your pocket money by £10 per week, but you have to go and get a Saturday job’.“The impact assessment on that basis would say that my kids were down £10, irrespective of how much money they get from their Saturday job.’Appearing on ITV’s Peston show on Wednesday evening, Mr Jones admitted his earlier comment was “tactless”. More

A Labour MP remained awkwardly silent when asked if his party’s government has been a disappointment.Clive Lewis remained silent for five seconds when he was asked by Sky journalist Sophy Ridge: “Has this Labour government been a disappointment?”The Norwich South MP appeared on Sky on Wednesday (26 March) just hours after chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement.The chancellor unveiled a £14bn package to repair the UK economy that includes cuts to welfare, as the Office for Budget Responsibility halved its forecast for growth in gross domestic product in 2025 from 2 per cent to just 1 per cent. More

Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana challenged Rachel Reeves, who “has accepted £7,500 worth of free clothing and recently took freebie tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter”, on whether Wednesday’s spring statement represents the “change” promised at last year’s general election.Zarah Sultana, now the independent MP for Coventry South, told the Commons today (26 March): “Since Labour came into power, 25,000 more children have been pushed into poverty due to the two-child benefit cap and now, according to the government’s own impact assessment, over 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these cuts, including 50,000 children.”Ms Reeves responded by saying young people are to be given “targeted support”. More

Rachel Reeves unveiled a £14bn package to repair finances, which included cuts to welfare, in her spring statement on the state of the UK economy on Wednesday, 26 March.The chancellor’s announcements included changes to universal credit, as well as measures to help people back into work.Ms Reeves also promised a boost for the UK’s defence spending.It comes after the UK’s budget watchdog warned last week’s reforms would save over £1bn less than forecast.Here are six key takeaways from today’s announcement. More

John Healey was challenged on whether national defence comes “even before the most vulnerable in society” as Rachel Reeves is set to cut benefits further in her spring statement on Wednesday, 26 March, while defence will see a boost in spending.The chancellor is set to announce an extra £2.2 billion to be spent on the UK’s defence over the next year.Ms Reeves is set to cut the benefits bill by £5bn, as she scrambles to find savings to meet her own strict borrowing rules.Speaking to Sky News, the defence secretary insisted defence is “The foundation for a stable, secure economy.” More

A disability advocate has warned that planned welfare cuts will push disabled people into poverty ahead of today’s spring statement. Labour announced welfare reforms last week, including stricter eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), to save £5 billion by the end of this parliamentary term.TV personality Kerry Riches, who lives with relapsing remitting MS, told Sky News on Wednesday (March 26) that the changes mean around “half of claimants” won’t access PIP. “They’ve made it so difficult, pushing a lot of disabled, vulnerable people into poverty.” She added, “I wouldn’t want to do Rachel Reeves’ job… I think she’s targeting the wrong people.” More