Guardian UK Politics
The Guardian view on aid cuts: Britain championed development funding – its meanness is shortsighted | Editorial
Britain's decision to slash overseas development aid marks a sharp departure from its historic leadership role in global development funding. The cuts risk reversing hard-won gains, including a 39% reduction in child mortality across lower and middle income countries over two decades — progress built in part on the kind of aid now being stripped away. The Guardian argues the move is both morally indefensible and strategically misguided, while acknowledging that advocates for development spending must do more to make their case to a skeptical public.
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No assessment Iran could strike London, UK minister says
Britain's environment secretary Steve Reed has pushed back on Israeli claims that Iran possesses the capability to strike London, stating there is "no specific assessment" supporting that conclusion. The remarks come amid heightened tensions following Israel's assertion that Tehran's missile reach now extends to the UK. The divergence in intelligence assessments underscores the uncertainty surrounding Iran's evolving ballistic capabilities and their implications for European security.
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Sky News UK
Starmer to chair COBRA meeting over Iran war's impact on the economy, Sky News understands
Keir Starmer will chair an emergency COBRA meeting Monday as the UK government moves to assess the economic fallout from the escalating Iran conflict. The convening of Britain's crisis committee signals that ministers view the situation as a serious threat to domestic stability. With energy markets and global supply chains already under pressure, the meeting underscores how quickly Middle East tensions are translating into hard economic consequences at home.
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Starmer adviser urges ministers to look at profits cap for energy and petrol firms
A senior adviser to Prime Minister Starmer is pushing ministers to consider a temporary profits cap on energy and petrol companies amid fears of war-driven price gouging. Richard Walker, chair of Iceland supermarkets and the government's "cost of living champion," says the measure is needed to shield consumers from firms exploiting Middle East conflict. The proposal signals growing pressure within Labour's inner circle to take a harder line on corporate profiteering during geopolitical crises.
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Iran not believed to have capability or intent to bomb Britain, says UK minister
Iran's recent missile strike on the Diego Garcia airbase — the longest-range attack of its kind — fell short of its target, with one missile failing to reach the island and another intercepted by a US warship. A UK cabinet minister has sought to reassure the public that Iran lacks both the capability and the intent to strike Britain directly. The government is drawing a clear line, insisting the UK will not be drawn into the wider conflict despite Israeli warnings that Iranian missiles could reach Europe.
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