Browsing: Labour Party

Friday’s headlines are dominated by the debate around legalising assisted dying in England and Wales (Scotland has its own separate bill). Politicians, health experts and scholars are offering their opinions ahead of Friday’s debate.

The bill passed the first stage of the Commons last November – but since then there have been dozens of amendments added by both sides. A vote to pass or reject the bill is not likely to take place on Friday, but rather in June.

UK businesses are calling on the government to reset relations with the EU ahead of a summit hosted in London next week. More than 400 UK firms have urged the government to take “practical steps” to reduce red tape, ease staff mobility, and coordinate on climate, defence and energy.

On the international front, there’s widespread coverage of the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza as Israel continues to block aid (including food) and continues to heavily bomb the strip. Donald Trump is concluding his tour of the Middle East where he has signed huge investment deals.

Thursday’s headlines see coverage of the government’s plans to ease the pressure on prisons across England and Wales, as a report says prisons will run out of space by November. The government has announced a series of measures which include early release for some offenders as part of the plans to tackle the overcrowding. The government also announced they will build three new prisons – but despite the dire state of the prison system, the plans still might not be enough to tackle the problem.

The UK economy grew unexpectedly in the first three months of 2025 – a major win for the government, especially the chancellor, who’s been under increasing pressure over the state of the economy and the government fiscal plans. The ONS said the growth was driven by the service sector and production. But the joy might be short-lived, the figures mark the period just before the US imposed tariffs.

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.