Guardian UK Politics
UK government divided over minimum wage increase in face of youth jobs crisis
The UK government is fractured over whether to extend the full minimum wage to 18-to-20-year-olds, with Business Secretary Peter Kyle reportedly urging caution amid rising youth unemployment. The concern is that hiking labour costs for younger workers could push employers to cut jobs in an already fragile market for that age group. The standoff puts Labour in an uncomfortable position, forcing ministers to weigh a core manifesto pledge against the risk of worsening the very crisis it claims to be tackling.
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Sajid Javid says backing Liz Truss to lead Tories was his ‘biggest political mistake’
Sajid Javid has publicly declared his support for Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race his greatest political error, a candid admission that underscores how far the party has fallen since her catastrophic 49-day premiership. The former chancellor, now out of parliament and promoting his memoir, showed little sentimentality toward the party's current turmoil, dismissing MPs defecting to Reform with a blunt "good riddance." The remarks reflect a broader reckoning among senior Tories grappling with the consequences of decisions that contributed to the party's historic electoral collapse.
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Rise in youth unemployment driving more to homelessness, UK charities say
Youth homelessness is rising in lockstep with unemployment, as charities warn that a generation is being locked out of both work and stable housing. A government-commissioned review projects a 25% surge in young people not in education, employment, or training — potentially reaching 1.25 million by the early 2030s without intervention. Centrepoint describes a "huge scarcity of work opportunities" as the driving force behind an accelerating housing crisis among the young.
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Victims of sexual abuse forced to ‘suck it up’ for sake of child perpetrators, warns Jess Phillips
Jess Phillips, former safeguarding minister, is calling for a review of sentencing guidelines after a string of cases in which teenage boys received lenient sentences for rape and sexual assault. Phillips warns that victims are being systematically deprioritized in favor of their attackers' rehabilitation prospects. She also raised alarm that such crimes are increasingly being treated as content for an online "eyeball economy," suggesting the justice system is failing to keep pace with the digital dimensions of sexual offending.
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Sky News UK
US, UK and Australia to develop underwater drones through defence pact
The AUKUS defence pact is expanding its scope, with the US, UK, and Australia committing to jointly develop unmanned undersea vehicles. The announcement, made by US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, marks a significant step in the trilateral alliance's push to modernise naval capabilities. Underwater drone technology is increasingly central to great-power competition, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
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