‘If voters aren’t better off by the next election, we’re screwed’: Labour insiders voice fears over budget

Some say party risks ‘looking twee’ by focusing on small fixes amid growing nervousness that budget lacks ambition

France’s dilemma: protesters demand spending as markets require fiscal restraint

Waves of protests expose debt crisis faced by French government, but political wrangling is stalling an escape plan. Is there a way out?

Britons kept in dark about scale of climate crisis, say viewers of ‘first-of-its-kind’ emergency briefing

Nine out of 10 people felt motivated to act after watching film outlining threats to food security, economy and public health

Badenoch’s inheritance tax gambit makes no economic sense

The Tory leader’s proposal to slash the tax would shovel £6bn of taxpayer money to the already-wealthy

Labour could oversee worst parliament on record for living standards, study warns

Energy and housing costs threaten biggest decline in modern times unless bold action taken, says thinktank

IMF chief urges governments to tighten belts as global debt levels soar

Kristalina Georgieva says big economies will have to make ‘very touch choices’ as soaring bond yields hit budgets

Tories unite behind Badenoch, but road to recovery remains long

Farage’s woes have given some a reason to hope, but insiders say focus on economy over culture wars is needed to win back centrist voters

The Guardian view on Tory economics: Britain’s future needs more than Thatcher’s past

Editorial: The Conservatives blame their failures on abandoning their 1976 principles. But the country needs investment and resilience rather than another round of spending cuts

Tory plan to cut energy efficiency rule for builders will cost new home owners £1,000 a year, says thinktank – as it happened

A researcher at a climate change think tank says the Conservative policy would be a ‘disaster for first time buyers’

Tories plan to extend cuts beyond £47bn previously pledged, leak reveals

Exclusive: Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith told party members last year he had discussed making further savings if they win next election

‘He feels more relatable’: Burnham’s conference speech wins praise from drifting Labour voters

The UK prime minister has earned his party a rehearing but the battle of public opinion is not yet won

Would a gambling tax rise in the budget really shut shops and cost jobs?

Most of the betting industry is urging the chancellor not to double slot machine duty to raise up to £460m more a year

Labour figures uneasy about Healey’s ‘underpowered’ approach to budget

Chancellor faces global volatility and soaring energy costs as some insiders worry lack of clarity could trigger fresh market shock

Rightwing economic myths could derail Burnham’s project – to destroy them, look to Keynes

Borrowing can be good, there is no such thing as the ‘nation’s credit card’, and, yes, you can buck the markets – as previous governments have shown, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott

Government must stop dithering over energy bill support for the vulnerable

Ministers should introduce a properly targeted social tariff rather than tinker with the warm homes discount