A petition calling on the Treasury to give pensioners a higher tax-free earnings limit has forced a Commons debate after drawing more than 116,000 signatures.Campaigners want pensioners to benefit from a £25,140 threshold before income tax applies — double the current personal allowance of £12,570.The petition secured enough support to trigger a parliamentary discussion, but a date for the...

A major industry group is warning the UK it must boost domestic oil and gas production to avoid growing dependence on imported fuel as global tensions push prices higher.Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) says the government should rethink its ban on new North Sea exploration licences, arguing that Britain risks exposure to supply shocks if more home-grown output is not allowed.Energy markets have...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

Ministers are considering slowing HS2 trains as a way to reduce costs after the high-speed rail project ran into delays and ballooning budgets.The transport department has asked the company building the London-to-Birmingham section to study whether trains could initially operate at a lower top speed.A formal update on the programme’s timetable and cost is now expected only after the May...

A fresh shock from the Middle East has sent energy markets reeling and reopened a debate Europe hoped it had settled.Months after stepping away from Russian fuels, EU capitals now face sharp price jumps and renewed political pressure as supplies tighten.After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EU moved quickly to cut dependence on Moscow. Oil flows from Russia have almost disappeared for...

A Russian drone hit a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, killing two people and wounding two children, local officials say.The attack came on the eve of new negotiations between Ukrainian and American delegations in the United States.The talks, which had been paused after the recent escalation in the Middle East, are expected to cover Ukraine’s response to Washington’s temporary easing of...

France heads to second-round municipal votes on Sunday in contests seen as an early barometer for the 2027 presidential campaign.Attention is focused on major cities where control could shift political momentum — notably Paris and Nice.In the capital, Socialists are scrambling to hang on after a quarter-century of centre-left leadership. Rachida Dati, the right-wing challenger, has closed the...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has ignited a fresh political row after urging closer economic cooperation with the EU as a route to greater resilience.Speaking at the Mais lecture hosted by Bayes Business School in London, Reeves argued the UK should deepen its economic links with Europe to shore up growth and stability.Her call has prompted sharp criticism from opponents who say seeking tighter...

Labour has been plunged into fresh internal conflict after senior figures clashed over a proposed overhaul of settlement rules for migrants.Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner publicly attacked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans, arguing it would be unfair to change the conditions for people who have already built lives in Britain.More than 100 Labour MPs have privately warned Mahmood that...

Belgium is preparing for widespread disruption this week as unions launch a three-day national strike aimed at protest­ing government austerity plans.Key public services and transport links are expected to be hit, with airports among the worst affected.The industrial action responds to a package of reforms from Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s centre-right coalition that aim to cut the budget...