Employment Rights minister Kate Dearden has said the government is not taking steps on fuel because “our situation is different” to other countries. Correct – there is no money…
On Sky News Dearden was pressed on measures taken by other countries – Australia and others have halved fuel duty and suggested people use less of it – but held firm:
“There are no current supply issues, but of course we are assessing the situation and governments of course plan for contingencies as well. Our situation is different to different countries and and they have of course reacted in different ways and we will as I said continue to assess the situation and make sure that we can prepare as much as possible… People should, you know, over the Easter weekend, continue to to fill up their cars, take those journeys, if they are going for a short trip abroad over the coming days or whatever plans they have.”
Dearden added: “Because we are absolutely, you know, monitoring the situation, and understand the concerns that people do have with the crisis and what’s happening in the Middle East and what it means to them here at home, but they should know we’re absolutely on their side.” Are you feeling reassured yet…
Donald Trump has made his strongest comments yet against NATO just as Starmer prepares to give an address from Downing Street. The President has spoken to the Telegraph in another round of interviews before he addresses the nation at 2 a.m. BST…
Asked if the US’ membership of NATO would be reconsidered, he said: “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration… I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
Trump said he is aggrieved by allied refusal to enter the Strait of Hormuz: “We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.”
He attacked Starmer personally: “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work… I’m not going to tell [Starmer] what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.”
Trump says the US will exit in between two and three weeks’ time. European allies’ decision to adopt a crouched trembling position has resulted in the President’s substantial anger…
Reeves has teed up the day by distributing what information currently exists on the government’s financial support plans to the BBC. In a pre-recorded interview she said…
Starmer has a press conference at 10 a.m. Expect more questions to not be answered there…
The bizarre clip in faux-White House style left SW1 denizens scratching their heads at the beginning of the month. Now GB News‘ Tom Harwood has spotted it is gone from the PM’s TikTok. Doesn’t really chime with Starmer’s pacifist local election push now that he’s finally decided what his line is…
Trump on Truth Social:
“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately “Open for Business,” we will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched.””
The Iranian regime is currently letting only allied ships pass through the Strait. The US President covering all bases with that post…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”