Farage and Jenrick to speak on pensions triple lock as calls grow to sack Reform’s housing spokesperson – UK politics live 02. April 2026 (12:01) Keir Starmer says Nigel Farage should ‘do the decent thing’ as Grenfell United survivors and families group says Simon Dudley’s comments were ‘deeply dehumanising’Q: Do you agree with the Tories about wanting more oil and gas drilling from the North Sea?Davey says Kemi Badenoch claims she can get an extra £2.5bn in tax revenue by allowing more exploration in the North Sea. He says she is “just lying”. He says everyone knows that that is not realistic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘If he’d stayed on the golf course, we’d be in a better place’: experts on Trump’s tariffs, one year on 02. April 2026 (12:00) Last April, the president unleashed a tidal wave of tariffs on ‘liberation day’. Analysts say the policy has failed, even by the Trump administration’s own termsBefore Donald Trump declared “liberation day” on 2 April 2025 and shocked the world by raising import tariffs on nearly every country the US did business with, he had spent almost three months causing chaos in Washington.The wholesale slashing of government jobs under Doge (the “department of government efficiency”) and the defunding of US aid agencies had shown White House watchers that the US president was in a hurry to upset institutions he considered profligate or useless. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump polled advisers about replacing Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief 02. April 2026 (12:00) Exclusive: Pressure intensifies for Gabbard after president’s displeasure with Iran war testimonyDonald Trump has privately asked cabinet officials in recent weeks whether he should replace his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, venting frustration that she shielded a former deputy who undercut his rationale for war with Iran, according to two people briefed on the discussions.It is not clear that Trump will actually fire Gabbard over the episode. Currently, there is no standout candidate to take the job, and advisers have cautioned that creating a high-profile vacancy before a successor is ready could cause unhelpful political distractions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thames Water ‘close to deal that would spare it new Ofwat fines until 2030’ 02. April 2026 (11:58) Offer reportedly put forward by creditors hoping to save struggling firm from being renationalised temporarilyBusiness live – latest updatesThames Water is said to be close to a deal with its regulator that would allow the company to avoid new fines for four years, as long as it commits to investing in the business.The controversial offer, reported by the Financial Times, has been put forward by creditors who are hoping to save the struggling utility from being temporarily renationalised. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer calls on Reform to sack Simon Dudley after ‘everyone dies’ Grenfell comments 02. April 2026 (11:31) PM says Farage should ‘do the decent thing’, after new housing spokesperson’s criticism of safety regulationsUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to sack Reform’s new housing spokesperson after he described the Grenfell Tower fire as a “tragedy” but added that “everyone dies in the end”.Simon Dudley, a former head of Homes England, announced in February that he was joining Reform, as Nigel Farage said he was planning to bring more “experts” onboard to advise the party. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Oil price jumps and markets slide after Trump warning to Iran 02. April 2026 (11:31) Brent crude rises 7% as US president vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ over coming weeksBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices soared and stocks sank after Donald Trump vowed in a televised speech to hit Iran “extremely hard” over the coming weeks, knocking investors hopes of a near-term end to the conflict in the Middle East.Brent crude prices jumped by more than 7% on Thursday morning to pass $108.50 a barrel, reversing Wednesday’s drop when hopes of a de-escalation in the Iran war pushed the international benchmark below the $100-a-barrel mark at one point. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s threats to withdraw US from Nato ‘look like Putin’s dream plan’, says Tusk – Europe live 02. April 2026 (11:28) Poland’s prime minister says prospect of an energy crisis in Europe and Viktor Orbán’s moves to block support for Ukraine also play into Russia’s handsAnd Donald Trump’s comments about Macron sparked anger in France (10:17), with politicians – including a Macron critic – were outraged by the US president’s attack, AFP reported.“Honestly, it’s not up to par,” said Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France’s lower house of parliament.“The threat of Nato’s break-up, easing sanctions on Russia, a massive energy crisis in Europe, halting aid for Ukraine and blocking the loan for Kyiv by Orbán - it all looks like Putin’s dream plan.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Moira Deeming to secure top spot on Victorian Liberal ticket 02. April 2026 (10:34) Reversal of fortune comes just one week after she was dumped in favour of Dinesh Gourisetty, who then withdrew his nominationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMoira Deeming will secure a top spot on the Victorian Liberal party’s upper house ticket unopposed – less than a week after members voted to dump her – after the withdrawal of candidates from a re-run ballot.Deeming was on Sunday ousted from the number one spot for the western metropolitan region by Dinesh Gourisetty. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coordinated conflict: how the Ukraine and Iran wars are starting to overlap 02. April 2026 (10:00) Battlefield outcomes are connected by the sharing of weapons and intelligence as well as the damage to the global economyThe Iran and Ukraine wars are becoming more intertwined with every passing week – to the point that some analysts argue the two conflicts are beginning to merge.Quite how each war will affect the trajectory of the other is hard to predict, but it is already clear that their interconnectedness is drawing more countries into both cauldrons, extending an arc of instability that straddles Europe and the Middle East. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK looks to relax planning rules for factory farms after industry lobbying 02. April 2026 (09:00) Exclusive: documents chronicle years-long campaign to make it easier to build intensive livestock unitsMinisters are rewriting planning rules to make it easier to build intensive livestock farms despite concerns about water pollution, air quality and local opposition.Documents obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act show that proposed changes to the national planning policy framework (NPPF) were discussed by ministers and officials in response to concerns of the country’s leading chicken producers, who have been lobbying on the issue for at least two years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
