Rachel Reeves looks for extra headroom in budget to insulate UK economy against bond market

Chancellor hopes to raise enough funds to stop damaging speculation about breaching fiscal rules

We all know Brexit’s to blame for the crisis facing UK steel – it’s time for politicians to be honest and reverse it

With British industry faltering, the excuse that the public wants this is risible. Parliament must force Starmer to act, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

Rishi Sunak takes advisory roles with Microsoft and AI firm Anthropic

Former UK prime minister told post-ministerial jobs watchdog roles would not involve lobbying or UK policy influence

Pub later-hours plan will not offset costs and wider difficulties, say landlords

Sector is sceptical over government licensing proposals given ‘ever-rising costs’ and ‘reduced consumer spend’

Starmer enters parallel universe as red carpet rolled out in India amid trade deal

UK PM greeted by thousands of posters of his face in Mumbai after clinching deal, despite torrid month back home

Starmer praises Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal – but avoids Nobel prize backing

Breakthrough in Gaza possible thanks to US president’s leadership, says prime minister during India trade visit

UK Treasury tells ministers not to expect bailouts from its reserve fund

Departments told to manage their own cost pressures as finance ministry seeks to curb overuse of contingency fund

Keir Starmer to look at India’s digital ID system during visit to Mumbai

Prime minister hopes to learn from success of scheme rolled out to most of country’s 1.4bn citizens

NHS could pay 25% more for medicines under plan to end row with drugmakers and Trump

UK ministers preparing to raise payments to end standoff with pharma industry, cited as reason for firms axing British investments

Tory plan to abolish stamp duty ‘will benefit London and the wealthiest the most’ – as it happened

The Social Market Foundation thinktank says council tax reform and a property-based tax would be more sustainable and fairer

UK opens up more driving test slots to help reduce backlog

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency says learners booking tests earlier has contributed to rising demand

Rachel Reeves given extra £3bn for budget after VAT error fixed

ONS says public borrowing estimates have been out by £200m-£500m a month since January

Badenoch unveils ‘golden rule’ to use half of spending cuts to reduce deficit

Conservative leader aims to rebuild party’s economic credibility after it was torched by her predecessors

Lifetime of earnings not enough for UK workers to join wealthiest 10%, report says

Research finds it would take average worker saving all their earnings for 52 years to match wealth of richest 10th of society

Nearly two thirds of Tory members want pact with Reform, poll suggests, with close to half supporting full merger – as it happened

Half of Tory members also want Kemi Badenoch to be replaced as Conservative leader