Browsing: UK News

Two teenagers aged 18 and 19 have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash in Edgware.

Tax rises likely as growth forecast cuts Western Mail says further tax rises are “likely later this year after the budget watchdog dealt Rachel Reeves a…

A new era of austerity A new era of austerity as 50,000 children could be plunged into poverty and SNP calls for the government to…

Happy Thursday! Today’s newspaper front pages are, unsurprisingly, dominated by yesterday’s Spring Statement. It’s a tough read for the chancellor this morning as the newspapers round on her plans with accusations that her time will soon be up as chancellor, that she’s returning Britain to austerity and that the poor will be hit the hardest – when it should be the wealthy taxed. 

Recent welfare cuts are projected to push tens of thousands of children into poverty, disproportionately affecting low-income families and those with disabilities.

Spring Statement 2025 reaction – Thursday’s headlines are reacting to yesterday’s Spring Statement delivered by the chancellor. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant measures to address the UK’s economic challenges. Key points include a £14 billion plan involving cuts to welfare payments (£4.8 billion) and departmental spending (£3.6 billion) to fix public finances. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has halved the 2025 economic growth forecast to 1%, down from 2%. Despite these austerity measures, the tax burden is projected to reach a record 37.7% of the GDP by 2027-28. Additionally, a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund was introduced to drive efficiencies across government departments.

Following the chancellor’s update on the economy, Donald Trump announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into America in a move that threatened to widen the global trade war.

Forth Valley Royal Hospital experienced a 70-minute power outage due to backup generator failure during Storm Eowyn, raising concerns over patient safety and hospital preparedness.

President Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, set to begin on 2 April, which he terms “liberation day.”

Network Rail will establish a new property company aimed at constructing 40,000 homes on its rail estate over the next decade to help meet the government’s housing targets.

Cliff Notes The US military confirmed the location of an M88 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle in Lithuania, linked to four missing soldiers who were training…

Cliff Notes Jaswinder Singh, a 51-year-old taxi driver, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old passenger in Falkirk on…

Cliff Notes – Spring statement 2025 key takeaways The Office for Budget Responsibility has halved the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 from 2% to 1%,…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the 2025 growth estimate for the UK has been halved to 1% from 2% by the government’s official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)

England Women A secured a three-wicket victory over Australia A in their first T20I, marking a successful start to their multi-format tour after the senior squad’s seven-match losing streak.

Reeves hunts growth in economic gloom Western Mail reports Reeves will acknowledge she needs to go “further and faster to kickstart growth as she scrambles for…

Scottish Labour MP slammed for benefits comments The National says a Scottish Labour MP has been slammed after telling a constituent he is “proud” of the…

A new Sky News documentary, “10 Years of Darkness: ISIS & The Yazidis,” reveals that many Yazidi women remain enslaved in ISIS detention camps a decade after their initial abduction.

Happy Wednesday – and most importantly, Happy Spring Statement Day! Today, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out her plans for the UK economy for the next year, presenting her budget plans to the Commons at 12:30. 

The chancellor is set to introduce significant changes aimed at balancing the UK’s public finances amidst economic uncertainty. Spending cuts are expected to be the main focus, with charities urging the government not to hit the poorest the hardest. 

There are continued reactions to the news that top Trump official Mike Walz accidentally added a journalist to a group chat where top US officials were discussing plans to bomb Yemen. 

The journalist leaked the messages, with the content from those messages leading headlines around the world. The major security blunder has led to questions in the US over Trump’s team and their lax approach to security. 

The content of the messages revealed what most of Europe already knew – the United States hates Europe, calling the continent ‘pathetic’ and ‘free loaders.’

What can we expect in the Spring Statement 2025? – Wednesday’s Spring Statement, set to be announced by the chancellor this afternoon, dominates much of the UK news this morning. There is continued speculation over how severe the chancellor’s cuts to public spending will be amid promises that she is hunting growth for the UK economy. 

The latest UK inflation figures are set to be released this morning, ahead of the chancellor’s statement, which will be delivered at 12:30 in the Commons.

Elsewhere, Prince Harry has stepped down from his role at the charity he co-founded after a row between the trustees and the chair of its board. 

On the international front, the ongoing fallout with the Trump administration after the Yemen bombing plans were accidently shared with a journalist and there’s extensive coverage of the devastating wildfires sweeping South Korea, having already killed 18 people.

The rollout of assisted dying legislation in England and Wales has been postponed, now expected to take place no earlier than 2029 due to a four-year extension proposed by MPs.

Prince Harry has resigned as patron of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded to support children in southern Africa, amid a governance dispute within the organisation.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will reveal additional welfare cuts in her spring statement, following a report by the Office for Budget Responsibility indicating the initial reforms will save £3.4bn instead of the anticipated £5bn.

The inquest revealed that Malcolm Flynn, 72, was fatally trampled by cattle while walking along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland in September 2020, with no charges brought against the farmer.