Major developers will now work with a single lead regulator for significant projects, streamlining the planning process and aiming to reduce costs.

There is a lot of politics in the news today, with many headlines (around the world) reporting on the US tariffs set to be announced on Wednesday – tariffs that Trump has said will impact every country. The UK had been hoping to secure an exemption from the tariffs, but yesterday, the prime minister confirmed the UK is set to be impacted by Wednesday’s announcement. 

In more bad news for Britain, ‘awful April’ has begun as water bills, energy bills, and council tax have all risen. But today also marks the National Minimum Wage increase that starts today. 

Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that US-UK trade discussions are “well advanced” but anticipated incoming tariffs from Donald Trump, asserting the need for a careful response rather than immediate action.

There is widespread coverage of France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s political career after she was found guilty of embezzling EU funds and banned from running for public office for 5 years. It means her hopes of running in the 2027 election – in which she was considered one of the favourites – are now in tatters. 

Tuesday’s UK headlines are dominated by international stories with a sprinkling of domestic politics and royal stories. 

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen has expressed her outrage at being banned from running for public office for five years after being found guilty by a French court of embezzling EU funds. The UK media are assessing what this means for France’s far-right, noting that it’s unlikely to stop the rise, and questions linger from the public figures, including Elon Musk, over how much the outcome was politically motivated.

Tariffs dominate much of the global news today, ahead of Wednesday’s ‘liberation day’ (according to Donald Trump). US tariffs are set to hit every nation tomorrow; the stock markets are in panic, and Britain failed to secure a trade deal before the tariffs.

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are in the news as Harry’s charity row rumbles on and Andrew’s accuser has been involved in a serious car accident and says she has four days to live.

As of today, various household bills, including energy, broadband, council tax, and water, are experiencing significant increases, prompting concerns for many consumers.