UK

Borrowing by the UK government rose by more than expected in the latest financial year, new official figures show. Public sector net borrowing rose to £151.9 billion in the year to the end of March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.The figure will come as a blow for chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is visiting Washington this week for major Trump trade deal talks. It comes just a day after the UK’s economic growth forecast was downgraded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).The new borrowing figure is £14.6 billion higher than the £137.3 billion that was forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The yearly figure was also £20.7 billion more than the same period a year earlier.It also marks the third-highest level of borrowing in any financial year since records began in 1947, the ONS said. It comes only behind the Covid pandemic in the year to 2021, and the 2010 financial year following the global crisis.The new figures also show that borrowing rose to £16.4 billion last month, marking the third-highest March borrowing since monthly records began.Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (James Manning/PA) More

The deadline is fast approaching for voters in England to secure the necessary photo identification to participate in next week’s local and mayoral elections. With polls opening on May 1st, individuals lacking an acceptable photo ID have mere hours to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.These elections hold significant weight, with 1,641 council seats contested across 23 local authorities. Beyond local councils, four regional mayoral positions and two local mayoralties are also being decided. Additionally, a parliamentary by-election will take place in the constituency of Runcorn & Helsby.Crucially, only specific forms of photo identification will be permitted at polling stations. Accepted forms include passports, driving licence photocards, blue badges, and older person’s bus passes. Those without these approved documents must apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by the 5pm deadline on Wednesday. Failure to do so will result in being turned away from polling stations and the inability to cast a vote.This can be done online at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.Applications for voter ID certificate ahead of UK local elections More

The UK’s economic growth forecast has been slashed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with a warning that the fallout from Donald Trump’s trade war will hit Britain harder than the rest of Europe. The global economic organisation predicts growth will stall by 0.5 per cent in 2025, compared to its previous forecast, with a further downgrade of 0.1 per cent in 2026. It means the UK economy will grow by just 1.1 per cent next year, and 1.4 per cent the year after.Rising government borrowing costs as a result of Trump’s tariffs as well as higher inflation and sky-high energy costs in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are all to blame, the IMF said.The downgrade raises the prospect of further tax hikes or spending cuts in the chancellor’s autumn Budget More

Sir Keir Starmer no longer believes trans women are women in the wake of last week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling. The prime minister has previously said that “trans women are women”, but asked to repeat that statement on Tuesday he pointed to the judgment, which ruled the term woman referred to biological sex, saying it had “answered that question”.Downing Street later confirmed the U-turn. Asked if the PM still believed that a transgender woman was a woman, his official spokesman said: “No, the Supreme Court judgment has made clear that when looking at the Equality Act, a woman is a biological woman. That is set out clearly by the court judgment.”Trans women are not women, Keir Starmer has said in the wake of last week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling More

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed the UK’s economic growth forecast in a fresh blow to Rachel Reeves, upping the ante as the chancellor prepares to hold talks in Washington DC this week. Ms Reeves is expected to have her first face-to-face meeting with her US counterpart, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, as she pursues a new economic agreement the UK hopes can offset some of the cost of Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. But the news of the growth downgrade, more severe than the prediction for the rest of Europe, will increase the pressure on the chancellor to secure a deal – or face the spectre of tax rises or even more spending cuts later this year. Rachel Reeves is expected to spend three days in the USA More

British Steel has said it will end a consultation on up to 2,700 redundancies, after the UK government took control of the firm earlier this month.Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously recalled MPs from their spring recess so Parliament could pass emergency legislation allowing the government to take operational control of British Steel. Since the government’s intervention, British Steel has been able to secure a stable supply of raw materials to its two blast furnaces, Queen Anne and Queen Bess. Now British Steel has confirmed it has officially withdrawn the HR1 consultation form it had submitted to the Department of Business and Trade on March 27. This means all operations at British Steel are being maintained, including Scunthorpe Rod Mill. Lisa Coulson, interim Chief Commercial Officer said: “This has been a difficult and worrying time for British Steel staff and their families. I can however confirm that we are closing the redundancy consultation without action.“Since the Government passed its legislation, we have been working day and night to ensure we are able to stabilise our operations. The work done to secure the raw materials we need for both Queen Anne and Queen Bess blast furnaces means we are able to run both continuously.“We would like to thank our trade union partners for their professionalism and the support of their members over recent days and weeks.“And I would also like to thank everyone in our workforce for their extraordinary dedication over recent days and weeks. It is your hard work and passion that means steelmaking in Scunthorpe has a bright future.“Quite simply, British Steel workers are the finest in the world.”British Steel has ended its redundancy consultation without any action More

Kemi Badenoch has been accused of throwing in the towel before a vote has been cast in May’s local elections. The Conservative leader warned Tory supporters to brace for a “very difficult” set of results for the party as voters go to the polls next Thursday. She is leading the Tories into the local elections against a high watermark set by Boris Johnson at the peak of his popularity in 2021.And, setting expectations low for her first electoral test as leader of the Conservatives, Ms Badenoch told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We lost last year in a historic defeat – these elections are going to be very difficult for Conservatives.”Two-thirds of the seats four years ago we won – there’s no way we are going to be able to do that again.”Kemi Badenoch has been accused of having thrown in the towel before polls open More