Government sells final shares in NatWest 17 years after £45bn bailout

Sale ends state ownership of the banking group, then known as Royal Bank of Scotland, after 2008 rescue

Rachel Reeves to announce billions in regional spending after Treasury rule changes

Extra investment lined up for schemes such as energy projects, roads and rails outside London and south-east

Team Keir latch on to lifeline thrown by Nige the narcissist

Starmer throws down the speechlet after Farage strays off-piste with ‘Truss-style’ economic plans

Starmer to say Reform’s spending plans would cause a Truss-style meltdown

Nigel Farage is ‘using your family finances as a gambling chip on his mad experiment’, prime minister will say

Reeves in standoff with ministers over proposed cuts to public services

IMF suggests chancellor could refine fiscal rules, but some fear policing and social housing face spending cuts

Rachel Reeves should refine fiscal rules to avoid emergency spending cuts, IMF says

The organisation, which has been assessing the UK economy, upgrades its growth forecast this year to 1.2%

Don’t cut £13.2bn warm homes pledge over winter fuel payments, Labour told

Charities and experts urge government to honour pledge on energy efficiency as it looks to pay for policy reversal

Reeves to champion £113bn of new capital investment in spending review

Chancellor hopes investment in homes, transport and energy will stave off pressure from MPs and discontent among public

Labour’s botched winter fuel U-turn raises questions over its purpose in power

There is growing unease over the government’s direction – a way to restore confidence would be to scrap the ‘cruel’ two-child limit

No 10 delays child poverty strategy with tens of thousands more facing hardship

Exclusive: Flagship policy put back until at least autumn amid fears cost of removing two-child benefit cap will outweigh political benefit

The Guardian view on Starmer’s U-turn: change direction – or keep losing support

Editorial: Labour’s pivot to welfare cuts and targeting of rightwing voters has backfired. If the party leadership won’t adapt, the public will move on

UK employers: how might your business be affected by plans to reduce migration to Britain?

We’d like to hear from UK employers how tightened visa rules may affect their business, and why they have been recruiting from abroad instead of from the UK

UK borrowing rises to £20.2bn, putting pressure on Rachel Reeves

April figure more than expected and comes despite increase in employer national insurance contributions

Rayner urged Reeves to consider wealth tax rises before spring statement

Memo from deputy PM to chancellor proposing eight potential measures highlights unease over spending plans

Pace of UK interest rate cuts is too rapid, Bank of England chief economist says

Huw Pill says rate cuts could fuel inflation resurgence and urges colleagues to be cautious before making further cuts