Budget: differing views about how to rescue the economy
Kemi Badenoch has warned that the country risks bankruptcy if Labour raises taxes without reducing welfare spending. She accused Rachel Reeves of planning a ‘stealth tax bombshell’ in the upcoming Budget to fund increased benefits, including what most people believe is likely - scrapping the two-child benefit cap to address child poverty. Freezing income tax thresholds is also expected, which would draw more workers into higher tax brackets. Badenoch argued that welfare cuts are necessary for long-term economic stability, saying her party would restore the cap if returned to power. Labour strongly rejected her claims, warning Conservatives would return the country to austerity, resulting in cuts to schools, hospitals, and policing. Other parties also criticised the Conservatives’ stance; Nigel Farage has proposed deeper spending cuts, and the Liberal Democrats have called both major parties punitive toward the public. As competing visions collide, the Budget will be a major test of how Britain balances fairness, economic security, and social responsibility.
Starmer tells faith leaders of his concern about religious cohesion
Keir Starmer has urged religious leaders to help strengthen social unity in the UK, expressing deep concern about divisions affecting communities nationwide. Speaking at a Downing Street reception during Interfaith Week, he praised the vital contributions of faith groups while acknowledging that recent violence - including attacks on a Manchester synagogue and a mosque in East Sussex - has tested interfaith harmony. Starmer said the country is at a fork in the road, with a choice between shared patriotic renewal or a descent into toxic division marked by racism, hostility, and rising online abuse. He said he wanted to serve the whole country ‘in all its reasonableness, its practicality, its tolerance, its live and let live, and its diversity.’ He finished by making a commitment to continued work with faith leaders to bring about change, commenting, ‘This has to be a partnership. We will play our part, but we recognise we can’t do it on our own.’
Immigration: home secretary’s new proposals
Shabana Mahmood is under mounting pressure to provide clarity and compassion after confirming that only a ‘few hundred’ asylum seekers will initially be admitted under the UK’s newly-announced ‘safe and legal’ routes. The home secretary has paired these routes with strict measures, copying Danish policies, aimed at deterring illegal crossings, including asset confiscation and the enforced removal of families who decline financial incentives to return home. Critics - including Labour MPs, refugee advocates, and UNHCR - argue that such limited pathways will do little to reduce dangerous Channel crossings or support those fleeing war and persecution. Organisations warn that people cannot afford to wait years for routes to expand, and that uncertainty will only deepen despair. Additionally, proposals to withdraw financial support from families with denied claims have sparked moral outrage, particularly over their impact on children. As the Government seeks to reshape asylum policy, many insist that protection, dignity, and fair family reunification remain essential to any credible system.
Digitised immigration system causes problems for many
Flaws in the Home Office’s digitised immigration system has left many lawful residents struggling to prove their rights and access essential services. According to a detailed report by the3million, widespread flaws in the eVisa system - introduced to replace physical immigration documents - have caused severe disruption, including people being refused flights, suspended from work, and denied benefits or healthcare. Technical failures have led to incorrect personal information, merged identities, inaccessible accounts, and wrongful immigration statuses being displayed. Some individuals have even been told they received refugee status in error, while others have lost job opportunities or been pushed into hardship when their status inexplicably changed. Solicitors warn that these failures amount to a ‘digital status crisis’; it is likely that many more cases have not been reported. A High Court challenge argues that the system leaves people without alternative proof of status, while campaigners call for an urgent independent review before digital IDs are expanded further. The Home Office maintains that most users experience no problems.
UK not adequately prepared for defence, say MPs
A new report from the parliamentary defence committee warns that Britain is not adequately prepared to defend itself, its overseas territories, or its NATO allies from modern threats. Despite plans to boost domestic defence production - including six new munitions factories and increased spending toward ‘war-fighting readiness’ - MPs say progress is too slow; the country remains over-dependent on the USA for critical capabilities such as intelligence, air-to-air refuelling, and troop transport. Noting severe gaps in air and missile defence, they are concerned that promised improvements in civil resilience are moving at a ‘glacial pace’. The committee’s chair Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi urged the Government to communicate more clearly with the public about real security risks, including drone incursions and cyber threats, noting that national defence requires national engagement. Ministers say new factories and investments will create jobs and strengthen security, but the report insists urgency is needed. The report coincides with concerns about a Russian spy ship operating just outside British territorial waters: see
Ukraine: two ministers dismissed over corruption allegations
Ukraine has been shaken by its most serious political crisis since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, after parliament voted to dismiss the energy and justice ministers in response to a major corruption investigation. The probe centres on an alleged $100 million scheme involving contracting at the state nuclear agency, implicating figures with close ties to the presidency and fuelling public outrage during a time of national sacrifice. Justice minister German Galushchenko and energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk both resigned under pressure from Volodymyr Zelensky before lawmakers voted to remove them. While both deny wrongdoing, the scandal has energised opposition voices demanding deeper reforms, including changes within the president’s inner circle. Anti-corruption authorities have said their investigation, whose chief suspect is Zelenskiy's former business partner, includes other state agencies. With Ukraine still fighting for its survival against Russian aggression, the crisis underscores the critical need for transparency, accountability, and public trust in wartime leadership.