Browsing: UK government

Good morning – let’s grab a coffee and catch up on what’s making headlines in the UK and beyond today.

There’s some relief on the way for households as energy bills are set to fall for the first time in a year. Ofgem has confirmed a 7% cut to the energy price cap from July, which means the average household in England, Scotland and Wales will see their annual bill drop by around £129.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a significant agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. As part of the deal, the UK will lease back the vital military base on Diego Garcia for £101 million a year, securing its use for an initial 99-year period.

In England, public sector workers are seeing a boost in their pay packets. Teachers and doctors will receive a 4% pay rise following recommendations from official pay review bodies. While education unions have largely welcomed the decision, they’ve warned that schools could face budget shortfalls without additional funding. Meanwhile, health unions have criticised a smaller 3.6% increase for NHS staff such as nurses and midwives.

On the global stage, tensions are rising after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Canada. Netanyahu accused them of siding with Hamas, following recent international criticism of Israel’s military actions. The comments came after two people were shot dead at the Israeli embassy in Washington, which has further strained diplomatic relations.

In the United States, the Trump administration has taken dramatic action against Harvard University, revoking its ability to enrol international students. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Harvard had failed to comply with immigration laws, while the university has called the move “unlawful” and a direct threat to academic freedom.

And finally, a suspect has been charged with the murder of two Israeli embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC. US prosecutors are treating the shooting as a hate crime and an act of terror, and have confirmed it’s a death penalty-eligible case. More charges are expected as the investigation continues.

Wednesday’s headlines are dominated by the UK government’s U-turn on its stance on the genocide in Gaza. For the right-leaning UK press, the story is largely kept off the front pages and replaced with domestic stories – mostly political.

Sir Keir Starmer described the new UK-EU Cooperation Agreement as a “landmark deal,” with potential economic contributions estimated at £90 billion by 2040, though the specifics remain to be confirmed.

The UK government has summoned Iran’s ambassador following charges against three Iranian nationals for alleged spying activities aimed at journalists from Iran International in London.

The UK and EU have finalised a post-Brexit trade deal after extensive negotiations, addressing contentious issues including fishing rights, which will now allow EU access to UK waters for 12 years.

Good morning! Grab a coffee and let’s dive into the headlines dominating the UK news today. It’s busy on the politics front with Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosting a pivotal summit with EU leaders in London, aiming to reset post-Brexit relations. Meanwhile, charities are increasing pressure on the government to abolish the two-child benefit cap, highlighting its impact on child poverty.

In international news, former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, sparking global concern and an outpouring of well wishes. An attempted terrorist attack on a Palm Springs fertility clinic is also featured heavily in the news as the suspect has been named as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus.

And in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have intensified, resulting in significant casualties amid ongoing ceasefire talks. It comes as Israel agreed to allow a limited amount of food into Gaza to prevent a “starvation crisis” amidst a blockade lasting nearly three months.

On a lighter note, Crystal Palace fans are still celebrating their historic FA Cup victory over Manchester City and Chelsea WFC beat Manchester United to win the Women’s FA Cup – completing the domestic treble.

Sir Keir Starmer expressed concerns that Britain could become an “island of strangers” if immigration issues are not addressed, drawing criticism for similarities to past inflammatory rhetoric.

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.

Several of Thursday’s newspaper front pages lead on the new government plans to address overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales. Yesterday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans including early release and building new prisons.

The UK economy grew by 0.7% in the first quarter of the year, outpacing expectations and marking a stronger start to 2025 than analysts had predicted. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that growth was primarily driven by a resilient services sector, alongside significant gains in industrial production.

Monday’s headlines are leading with the prime minister’s announcement on his plans to crack down on legal migration to the UK – with measures that include banning overseas care home workers. It’s unclear how these measures won’t damage the economy further, but Starmer’s eyeing up a second term in office, and to beat Reform at the next general election (2029) he’ll need to have made massive moves on immigration (legal and illegal). Recent local elections in England saw Reform sweep traditional Labour and Tory hotspots, meaning you can expect to see both parties move closer to the right for the foreseeable future.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised “migration numbers will fall” when he sets out plans to reform the UK’s immigration system later this morning. 

The UK’s prison system is at a critical breaking point, with overcrowding reaching 156% at Preston Prison, necessitating urgent reform.

The Home Secretary has announced a ban on recruiting overseas care workers to reduce net migration, aiming for a cut of about 50,000 low-skilled worker visas this year.

The government says it will not reverse cuts to winter fuel payments despite the measure causing turmoil in the party. Since last week’s local election losses for Labour (and huge gains for Reform), there have been growing calls within the party for the cuts to be abandoned. 

You might as well get used to it – the sun is out and it’s here to stay (for at least a week). As the sun rolls out across the UK today, it’s already clear blue skies across the capital. So, let’s grab a coffee and have a run-through of today’s news bulletins. 

Foreign nationals added to the Sex Offenders’ Register will be ineligible for asylum under new UK government proposals aimed at enhancing border security.

Economists say Chancellor Rachel Reeves may have to raise taxes in the October Budget.

Local elections on 1 May will see 23 councils, primarily Conservative-controlled, up for grabs, amid expectations of significant losses for the Tories.

The government plans to reduce the Fair Access Limit for therapy funding for adopted children from £5,000 to £3,000, sparking criticism and concern from MPs and charities.

Yesterday, Unite members voted to overwhelmingly reject a deal to end the Birmingham bin strike, calling the offer inadequate. Some publications see it as a humiliation for the Labour government after pleading with members to take the offer amid fears of strikes spreading around the country as well as a potential health crisis. 

The government took the drastic step of taking control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant over the weekend after enacting emergency legislation that was rushed through Parliament in a single day. 

The business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told MPs that the likely next step would be to nationalise the Scunthorpe plant. 

The government say they were forced to seek emergency powers to stop the Chinese owners, Jingype, from shutting down the two blast furnaces, which would have ended primary steel production in the UK. 

Since the shocking intervention from the British government, the UK headlines are assessing what could happen next with calls for the plant to be nationalised, rivals looking to buy the plant and fears the Chinese owners are trying to sabotage the site to force Britain to rely on cheap Chinese imports.

The UK Economy grew by 0.5% in February, outperforming analyst forecasts of a 0.1% rise, driven by strong manufacturing and service sectors.

The UK government is considering nationalising British Steel as concerns grow over the Scunthorpe plant’s future after Jingye cancelled vital orders for raw materials.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is back in the headlines after an impact assessment revealed the chancellor’s welfare overhaul – aimed to get more people back in work – could see even more people signed off.