Spring forecast: Reeves insists Labour has ‘right economic plan’ as 2026 growth downgraded
Unemployment predicted to continue rising to 5.3% as chancellor says she is meeting energy firms amid soaring oil and gas prices
Stock markets slump amid Iran war as gas prices jump 30% to three-year high
FTSE 100 on track for its worst day in 11 months, while Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s Kospi also fall
Surprise jump in UK grocery inflation makes interest rate cut less probable
ECB says Middle East war could cause higher inflationary pressure and warns of potential ‘sharp drop in output’
Rachel Reeves’s plans could be hit by Middle East conflict, say economists
Warning comes as OBR projections in the spring forecast are expected to show public finances moving in the right direction
A gas shock – not an oil shock – from the Iran war looks more threatening
Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz
Maritime insurers cancel war risk cover in Gulf as Iran conflict disrupts shipping
Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed and vessels rerouted, sending some freight costs surging
Gas prices soar and oil jumps as Iran war pushes down global stock markets
QatarEnergy says it has halted production of liquefied natural gas after attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed sites
UK house prices rise in February as chancellor avoids ‘negative speculation’
Rachel Reeves’s upcoming spring forecast has not led to slowdown, as property tax rumours did in November
What disrupting the strait of Hormuz could mean for global cost-of-living pressures
The narrow shipping route on Iran’s southern border carries one-fifth of global seaborne crude oil, one-fifth of LNG shipments and one-third of the most widely used fertiliser
Middle East crisis pushes up oil prices – and could drive inflation rises too
Effects of extended conflict between US and Iran could also lead to higher interest rates and hit economic growth
Most senior council officers in England say building work hit by delays
Funding uncertainty is main concern, despite Labour’s pledge to revitalise construction, survey shows
OBR a backseat driver with out-of-date maps, thinktanks tell Rachel Reeves
Chancellor urged to reform Office for Budget Responsibility to open way to more public investment
Why does admitting you’re ambitious feel so wrong for gen Xers like me?
In the 90s, we internalised an ideal of cool that appeared nonchalant and effortless. Now, young people are unafraid to say they want something and are going to work hard to get it, writes Emma Beddington
Boring or bust: Reeves aims to project calm competence in spring forecast
After 18 months of policy U-turns and political turmoil we are told not to expect any last-minute policy rabbits
Trump’s Iran strikes accelerate the world’s drift from dollar dominance
Aggression feeds a sense that the US is operating outside global norms and helps to fuel a more complex currency outlook