#UK politics

#UK politics

Rail fares in England will not be increased in 2026, the government has announced, surprising passengers with the first fare freeze in 30 years. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will confirm a freeze on fares in this week's budget, a move designed to limit inflation, ease the cost of living and support economic growth. Reeves and the prime minister, Keir Starmer, are hoping that measures such as freezing train fares and a package of support for energy bills will help mitigate the political fallout of several expected tax increases.

Asian markets closed out the week on a negative footing, as the tech-sector rout from Wall Street spilled across the globe. Meanwhile, a raft of concerning data points out of China saw weak retail sales, industrial production, and home price figures. This had a particular impact on tech-focused consumer firms such as Alibaba and JD.com. The weakness in both consumer and business indicators signalled a need to be cautious in the region.

Peter Mandelson, who was sacked as the UK's ambassador to Washington over his association with Jeffrey Epstein, was in contact with the pedophile financier as late as 2016, new emails have revealed. Mandelson was sacked in September over leaked emails in which he expressed his support for Epstein and urged him to fight for early release in 2008 while the disgraced financier was facing charges of soliciting sex from minors.

Local government minister Alison McGovern, on the morning media round for the government, said the BBC should say sorry to Mr Trump for the splicing together of clips of his speech which made it appear he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to "fight like hell", omitting a section about peaceful protest.

In April 1975, the Labour chancellor Denis Healey sought to grip the UK's runaway inflation and rising unemployment rates an economic crisis triggered by the shock rise in global oil prices by raising the basic rate of income tax. Now Rachel Reeves, faced with her own set of difficult economic circumstances, including a multi-billion-pound budget shortfall, is contemplating the same remedy breaking a 50-year taboo by becoming the first chancellor since Healey to hike the basic rate of income tax.

Nigel Newton asserts that We are programmed deep in our DNA to be comforted by the authority and the reliability of big brand names (AI can help authors beat writer's block, says Bloomsbury chief, 27 October). Hmm. Writers tend to see that certain authors being turned by publishers into big brands is a function of our economic system rather than our genetic makeup, a process backed up by the money that publishers spend on marketing and publicity.

Former Chancellor George Osborne has warned that Reform UK "cannot be trusted to run the economy", accusing Nigel Farage's party of lacking fiscal credibility at a time when economic stewardship is likely to define the next general election. Speaking amid growing scrutiny of Reform's costed plans, Mr Osborne dismissed the party as economically unreliable, pointing to its proposals to lift the two-child benefit cap and nationalise water companies - policies that have already been branded "socialist" by Conservative critics.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The government's national security adviser Jonathan Powell made no decisions about the content of any evidence provided in the collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, a minister has said. Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry - who deny the allegations - in September. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the case collapsed because the government had refused to give the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) "vital information" as it wanted to "curry favour" with China.

"I have not come to this decision lightly," the Tory leader said. "But it is clear that it is necessary to protect our borders, our veterans, and our citizens."