[ad_1] Sir Keir Starmer has said that the government can be more efficient by using AI and technology, ahead of the Spring Statement.Questioned on BBC Radio 5 Live on whether unprotected departments would face cuts, the PM said ministers were "looking across the board", but he wanted to challenge government to be more efficient.Rachel Reeves has confirmed civil service departments will be asked to cut 15% from their budgets, but
[ad_1] Reform UK have chosen their candidate for the upcoming Runcorn and Helsby by-election.Sarah Pochin, a former Cheshire East councillor, will stand for the party at the election, which is expected to take place on 1 May.She said the party stood for "family, community and country," and she had "dedicated her life" to upholding those values.The by-election has been triggered by the resignation of Mike Amesbury, following him receiving a
[ad_1] Mitchell Labiak & Michael RaceBusiness reporters, BBC NewsGetty ImagesEnglish councils will be ranked according to their pothole fixing progress under government plans, with those who fail to publish updates losing out on millions in funding.The Department for Transport (DfT) said local authorities' road maintenance pot would be boosted by £500m from mid-April, but councils must publish annual reports detailing progress on potholes or lose a quarter of that extra
[ad_1] The education secretary has asked counter-fraud experts to lead an investigation into reports millions of pounds in student loans are being claimed by people with no intent to study. It follows a report in the Sunday Times which says it found evidence of some individuals enrolling on degree courses at small colleges just to access loans, with no intention of paying them back. Bridget Phillipson has called in the
[ad_1] Becky MortonPolitical reporterGetty ImagesLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the UK to stand up to Donald Trump, branding the US president a "bully". In a speech to his party's spring conference in Harrogate, Sir Ed urged the prime minister to agree a co-ordinated response to US tariffs with the European Union and Canada.Trump has promised a raft of new tariffs - taxes charged on goods imported
[ad_1] Watch: Reeves defends accepting free Sabrina Carpenter ticketsChancellor Rachel Reeves has defended accepting free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert, adding she will declare them.Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Reeves said she attended the concert a couple of weeks ago with a family member."I do now have security which means it's not as easy as it would have been in the past to just sit in
[ad_1] UK taxes on big tech firms may be changed as part of a deal to avoid US President Donald Trump's next raft of tariffs, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested.She said talks are "ongoing" about tweaks to the Digital Services Tax (DST), which affects global tech giants like Amazon and Meta.The 2% levy introduced in 2020 raises about £800m a year for the UK, but the BBC understands it could
[ad_1] Becky MortonPolitical reporterJacqueline HowardBBC NewsWatch: Rachel Reeves confirms plan to cut Civil Service running costsGovernment running costs will be cut by 15% by the end of the decade, the chancellor has promised. Rachel Reeves told the BBC savings would be made from back office and administrative roles rather than front-line services.But unions warned the impact of cuts would still be felt by the public, while 10,000 jobs are expected
[ad_1] Sir Keir Starmer's plan for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine has been dismissed as "a posture and a pose" by Donald Trump's special envoy.Steve Witkoff said the idea was based on a "simplistic" notion of the UK prime minister and other European leaders thinking "we have all got to be like Winston Churchill".In an interview with pro-Trump journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin, saying
[ad_1] UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has visited the crew of HMS Vanguard after the submarine returned to UK waters after months of undersea service. The nuclear-armed submarine had been patrolling for more than 200 days, marking one of the longest deployments in British Royal Navy history. Sir Keir, who was accompanied by Defence Secretary John Healey, was the first prime minister to visit the boat's "Day Zero" off
