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The government borrowed slightly more than expected in July, according to figures published as Chancellor John Healey draws up his first Budget.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said borrowing was £2.3bn more than official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).Borrowing, the gap between what the government spends and what it takes in tax receipts, was £1.8bn in July, two thirds higher than the same month last year.Economists warned the figure will restrict Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s room for manoeuvre as they target measures aimed at easing the cost of living for households, with little room to…

A book about the life of Sir Keir Starmer has become the newest addition to the Downing Street library, after being donated by Sir Keir himself. Keir Starmer: The Biography, written by journalist and former Labour adviser Tom Baldwin, has now joined the collection of more than 400 books, some of which are kept in two bookcases in Downing Street’s Cabinet Room.The library was established in 1931 by the first Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, and since then prime ministers and ministers have been invited to make contributions. Seven ministers who served in Sir Keir’s government have also added books…

He said some had claimed bad weather was the biggest factor in a reduction of crossings this year.”But what that demonstrates is absolutely that the French are being effective in preventing a number of these small boats.””Clearly, every single day that one slips through the net and crosses, it’s one too many, and that’s why it’s absolutely critical to us to not take our foot off the gas and to keep working hard with our French partners and stop this from happening.”In the last week, 425 migrants made it across the Channel on five boats during three days of good…

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media before boarding Air Force Two, after the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit, at Emmen Military Air Base June 22, 2026 in Emmen, Switzerland. Nathan Howard | Getty ImagesEconomic pressure is the United States’ “most effective tool” against Iran, according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Speaking on a podcast, Vance said that the move was “a delicate dance” as both sides apply pressure to each other, but added that “what has been true over the last couple of weeks is they felt a…

Michael Selig, chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), during a Bloomberg Television interview at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Daniel Heuer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s first Innovation Advisory Committee meeting convened on Thursday to discuss the latest in prediction markets regulation, including growing concerns on “mention markets” found on the platforms.The CFTC’s Chairman Michael Selig, who is the only official on the federal agency’s typically five-member commission board, said the committee’s role would be to provide input on CFTC’s decisions which would…

Hume also called for ministers to “really look at what happens when fire gets close to a piece of critical national infrastructure”.Last summer’s wildfire burned near to RAF Fylingdales, part of the UK and US ballistic missile warning system.She said she had visited the site this week and spoke to staff who “can’t just turn the radar off and leave”.”It was quite sobering to hear how worried they were as the fire got closer.”Last month, a wildfire in Suffolk was about 3 miles (5km) from the Sizewell B nuclear power station.Hume said such situations should automatically trigger national resilience, when…

Jonathan Carr West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), which advises on policy across the world, said the BBC study showed the sector was “still struggling to keep up with astronomic rates of increase in demand and cost for those key statutory services like adult social care and children’s services”.”The sector as a whole continues to become more and more on the brink of collapse,” he added.A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, said the cost and demand pressures were “unrelenting”. “In just three years, councils will need around 25…

If Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent truly wants to bring the full force of the federal government to bear on what he sees as a misbehaving bond market, he can’t go it alone. A sustained effort to bring down Treasury yields would eventually require coordination with Bessent’s longtime friend, now at the Federal Reserve, Chairman Kevin Warsh. Bessent’s efforts to influence the bond market will add to the immense scrutiny on Warsh to clarify where he stands on the Fed’s independence and on its attitude about the vast pool of U.S. government debt. The Fed has historically only intervened in the bond market…

Reform UK has suspended a councillor pending the outcome of an offensive message court case.Last month, Sunderland City councillor Glenn Gibbins, 66, was charged with posting a grossly offensive comment on social media in connection to a comment referencing the Nigerian community.The charge, under the Communications Act 2003, related to a post from 2024. Gibbins is due to appear at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Friday.A Reform spokesperson said: “Councillor Gibbins has been suspended from Reform UK pending the outcome of his case.”Northumbria Police began an investigation when the post came to light in May.Gibbins was elected to the council…

Labour MSPs Michael Marra and Joe Fagan are making their pitches as they aim to succeed Anas Sarwar. Source link