Author: James Carter

Reform UK has unveiled plans to cut household energy bills by at least £200 a year by abolishing VAT and green levies on energy costs, as the party seeks to capitalise on rising public concern over soaring fuel prices driven by the Iran conflict. Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick announced the policy at a central London press conference on Tuesday, setting out a two-part saving for British households. Removing the current five per cent VAT rate on energy bills would reduce annual costs by around £85, while scrapping green charges — including renewables obligations and carbon price support — would deliver…

Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting London on Tuesday to sign a new defence partnership with the UK focused on drone warfare, as the Ukrainian president tours European capitals in a bid to maintain allied support while attention remains fixed on the Middle East conflict. The agreement, announced by Downing Street ahead of the meeting with Sir Keir Starmer, is designed to combine Ukrainian battlefield experience with British industrial capacity to manufacture and supply drones and related military capabilities. The partnership will also seek closer cooperation with third countries as part of broader efforts to strengthen international security. As part of the…

Sir Keir Starmer has used a televised address from Downing Street to set out Britain’s position on the Iran crisis, pledging that the UK will not be dragged into a broader conflict while announcing support measures for households struggling with sharply rising energy costs. The Prime Minister outlined three priorities guiding the Government’s approach. The first is protecting British nationals in the region. The second is taking necessary defensive action while avoiding escalation beyond that. The third is working toward a resolution that restores stability to the Middle East and removes what he described as the Iranian threat to neighbouring…

One of Donald Trump’s most prominent White House advisers has publicly distanced himself from the President’s handling of the war with Iran, warning that the conflict risks escalating to a point where Israel might consider deploying a nuclear weapon. David Sacks, Trump’s appointed czar for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, made the remarks on the All-In podcast — becoming the most senior figure within the Trump administration to openly break with the President over the ongoing military campaign. Sacks cautioned that an “escalatory approach” carried serious risks, warning: “Israel could get seriously destroyed. And then you have to worry about Israel…

The Green Party has set out plans to formally separate the Church of England from the state, in a move that would bring an end to nearly five centuries of constitutional history dating back to Henry VIII. Party policy documents outline a series of measures that would take effect should the Greens win the next General Election. Under the proposals, the Prime Minister would no longer play a role in appointing the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Church would become a fully self-governing institution. The 26 Church of England bishops who currently sit in the House of Lords — known…

Sir Keir Starmer is set to address the British public from Downing Street on Monday as the Government moves to contain the economic fallout from the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and kept them there across the weekend. The Prime Minister’s statement will seek to reassure households facing sharply rising energy costs, with Starmer expected to frame the moment as a test of the Government’s priorities. “It’s moments like this that tell you what a Government is about,” he is expected to say, adding that supporting working people through…

European leaders have rounded on the United States after President Donald Trump moved to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil, with senior figures across the continent warning the decision risks channelling funds directly into Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine. The criticism came after the US Treasury issued a licence on Thursday authorising the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels before 12:01am Eastern Time on 12 March, valid through to 12:01am on 11 April. The move followed a separate decision last week in which Washington temporarily permitted Russian oil stranded at sea to be…

Sir Keir Starmer faced a public rebuke from Donald Trump during a virtual G7 leaders’ meeting on Wednesday, according to two officials cited by Axios, after the Prime Minister’s initial reluctance to grant the United States access to British bases for strikes on Iran. The reported exchange took place on a call that included French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among other G7 leaders. According to the Axios report, Trump mocked the Prime Minister over his earlier refusal to allow the US to use UK bases before ultimately reversing that position. “You should have proposed it before…

Donald Trump has insisted the war with Iran will end “soon” and that US forces are “way ahead of schedule,” even as gas prices surge to their highest levels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Pentagon’s munitions bill reaches billions of dollars within days of the conflict beginning. Speaking in a brief phone call with Axios on Wednesday, Trump said: “Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end. The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original…

Lord Mandelson sought more than half a million pounds as a payoff when he was dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last September, newly released documents have revealed. Newly released files show that Mandelson formally requested the government “pay out the remainder of the 4-year salary costs of the fixed term appointment” following his dismissal by Sir Keir Starmer — a sum that would have amounted to £547,201. The request was rejected. Instead, Mandelson received a total of £75,000, made up of £40,330 in pay in lieu of notice covering the three-month notice period stipulated in his contract,…