UK

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has affirmed his commitment to climate action ahead of his journey to Brazil for the UN Cop30 summit.Speaking to sixth form students at Downing Street on Monday, Starmer, joined by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, reiterated the government’s dedication to clean energy goals and the UK’s role as a global climate leader.He conceded that Cop30 would present a “challenge” because of the sluggish worldwide progress in cutting emissions and the escalating geopolitical rifts surrounding climate initiatives.“I’ve thought climate change has been our biggest challenge as a species for a very long number of years now,” he said.“I haven’t changed my mind because some other people have changed their minds.“It’s very important we go and we show that leadership. So that’s what we’ll be going for.”Asked about how large countries have failed to stick by previous international agreements and what makes him confident Cop30 will be a success, Sir Keir said: “It’s a challenge. There’s no doubt about it.“You’re trying to get a whole bunch of countries to act in a similar way. That’s not easy. They’ve all got their own political pressures in their own country.“But I genuinely believe that only by coming together and committing and coming back and looking at the commitments we made in the past, and making the argument is really important.“And I think one of the main reasons for going is to continue to make that case.”Starmer conceded that Cop30 would present a “challenge,” becuase of the sluggish worldwide progress in cutting emissions More

Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out hiking income tax, VAT or National Insurance in BudgetRachel Reeves has “no regrets” over potential breaches of Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise certain taxes in the upcoming Budget, her spokesperson said.It comes as the pound has fallen to a six-month low after Ms Reeves refused to rule out hiking taxes to plug a hole in the public finances in the pre-Budget address on Tuesday morning.Sterling fell 0.3 per cent to $1.3064 – its weakest since April. The FTSE 100 Index meanwhile fell deeper into the red after the speech, down 1 per cent or 92.5 points lower at 9608.9.The chancellor refused to rule out breaking Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance – saying “each of us must do our bit” as she paved the way for tax rises in her Budget later this month.A leading think tank has warned that tax rises are “inevitable”, but said there was a way to implement them that “boosts confidence in the economy and the public finances, while also reducing child poverty and the cost of living”.Following the speech, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson backed Ms Reeves and pointed to “fresh challenges”, including tariffs deterring business investment and dampening growth, high inflation and the increasing cost of borrowing.Scottish Labour leader says he will cut income tax if electedThe leader of Labour in Scotland has refused to say whether Rachel Reeves will break the party’s manifesto commitment not to raise taxes – but added he would cut it in Scotland if elected.Anas Sarwar said taxpayers will have to “wait and see” what is in the Chancellor’s Budget on November 26.Asked if he can guarantee Labour will not break its manifesto pledges, Mr Sarwar told the PA news agency: “Let’s wait and see what’s in the Budget in a few weeks’ time.“She is the UK Chancellor that’s responsible for income tax in England and Wales.“Income tax in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, and actually the only person that’s been campaigning loudly for the last two years for a rise in income tax in England and Wales is John Swinney, and he’s the very same man negotiating the fiscal framework.”Income tax in Scotland is currently higher for middle and higher earners compared to those living in England.Mr Sarwar said taxes are “too high” in Scotland and he is “clear” Scottish Labour will bring down the tax burden if the party wins next year’s Scottish election.Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (Lesley Martine/PA) More

After warning that “easy answers” to Britain’s economic problems would be “irresponsible”, Rachel Reeves has refused to rule out raising income tax, VAT or National Insurance in her upcoming Budget.In a speech at Downing Street, the chancellor said politicians had become “addicted to short-term sticking plaster solutions” and hinted that “painful decisions” may be needed later this month to repair the public finances.Economists say tax rises are now “inevitable” if Labour is to balance the books. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that avoiding income tax increases by targeting smaller levies could do “unnecessary economic damage”. But some economists and campaigners argue Labour should focus on fairer ways to raise funds – such as reforming wealth and property taxes or closing loopholes used by higher earners.Supporters of tax rises say honesty is the only route to stability, and that Reeves should prioritise long-term growth, investment and fairness – even if it means breaking manifesto pledges. Critics warn that hitting working people with higher bills would risk stalling recovery and betraying those already struggling with the cost of living.So, what should Rachel Reeves do in the upcoming Budget? Should she raise income tax to repair the public finances – or find alternative ways to plug the gap without burdening households further?We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments – we’ll feature the most compelling responses in the coming days. More

Rachel Reeves appeared to pave the way for significant tax increases in a major pre-Budget speech, as she said “easy answers” were off the table.It is the starkest warning yet from the chancellor, who has been signalling over the past few months that hard choices will have to be made.Many economists predict that substantial tax rises can be expected at the crunch fiscal event, as Ms Reeves looks to counteract the country’s ailing economic performance.Researchers from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have found that the chancellor will need to find at least £22bn to make up a shortfall in the government’s finances, as rising borrowing costs and weak growth forecasts drastically reduce her room for manoeuvre.The pound fell further after the chancellor’s speech More

A former Conservative minister has accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of “murdering” a young Palestinian nurse – known as the ‘angel of mercy’ – in an extraordinary U-turn, having previously refused to criticise Israel over the death.Alistair Burt also accused Israel of conducting bogus inquiries into her death and that of other Palestinians involving the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) as a means of “covering up killings”.Mr Burt, who served as the Middle East minister in Theresa May’s Conservative administration, says he and her government were wrong not to “call out” Israel over the death of paramedic Razan al-Najjar, 21, in Palestinian protests on Gaza’s border with Israel in 2018.She was fatally shot going to the aid of a wounded demonstrator, prompting international outrage and posthumous fame for charismatic Najjar.A United Nations investigation found ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe she was shot deliberately by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).When the incident occurred Mr Burt, then the Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East, refused to criticise Israel, merely urging them to investigate the matter.Relatives of the volunteer paramedic mourn at the family house during her funeral in the town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip More

Watch as Rachel Reeves set out her economic priorities in a pre-Budget speech on Tuesday (4 November).The Chancellor refused to rule out hiking income tax, VAT or National Insurance to plug a hole in the public finances as she was asked to address speculation that she will break Labour’s manifesto commitments on tax rises.During the speech in Downing Street, Ms Reeves hinted she will take painful decisions later this month as she said “easy answers” to fix economic issues would be “irresponsible”.When asked whether she would raise taxes for working people, Ms Reeves said: “I will set out the individual policies of the budget until the 26th of November. That’s not what today is about. Today is about setting the context up for that budget.”Speculation has mounted about the possibility that the chancellor will break one of Labour’s main manifesto pledges on tax.In their 2024 manifesto, the party promised not to raise any of the main taxes.It vowed not to “increase taxes on working people”, meaning they would not raise National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.On Monday (3 November), Sir Keir Starmer said it would be a “Labour budget based on Labour values”, though he added that there would be “tough but fair decisions”.Speaking at a party meeting in Westminster, he told Labour MPs that the long-term impact of Conservative austerity and a botched Brexit deal “is worse than even we feared”. More

Tax rises are “inevitable”, a leading think tank has warned hours before Rachel Reeves sets out her Budget priorities.The chancellor will use a speech today to pave the way for sweeping tax rises expected to be announced at the end of the month,pledging to make “important choices that will shape our economy for years to come”. In a major pre-Budget address, she will set out her three priorities for the fiscal event – cutting hospital waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living. The Resolution Foundation has said that there was a way to implement the “inevitable” tax rises that “boosts confidence in the economy and the public finances, while also reducing child poverty and the cost of living”.Ms Reeves is expected to promise a Budget “led by this government’s values, of fairness and opportunity and focused squarely on the priorities of the British people”. Acknowledging growing speculation over possible tax rises, she will argue that it is important the public understands the circumstances facing the country. In its pre-Budget review, the Resolution Foundation have said the chancellor should aim to double her fiscal headroom in her statement to the Commons on 26 November. This would result in the buffer against unexpected changes in economic headwinds increasing to £20bn, but the think tank acknowledged that an increase of £15bn was “perhaps” more realistic.“This would send a clear message to markets that she is serious about fixing the public finances, which in turn should reduce medium-term borrowing costs and make future fiscal events less fraught,” the report said.Tax-raising measures could include freezing personal thresholds, potentially raising £7.5bn if done for two years, according to the foundation, alongside “pro-growth” reforms to the tax system, targeting wealth, motoring and property taxes.“So, although tax rises are inevitable, there is a way to do them which boosts confidence in the economy and the public finances, while also reducing child poverty and the cost of living.” Alongside this, it said that ministers should also consider new targeted policy measures to help with the cost-of-living crisis, such as help with energy bills. The chancellor’s address is set to come after weeks of expectation management and growing reports of planned tax rises as she scrambles to fill a black hole of up to £50bn in the public finances to balance the books and keep to her golden rule of funding day-to-day spending with tax receipts.( More