Sir Keir Starmer has warned the government are looking to make savings “across the board” ahead of the spring statement on Wednesday.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Prime Minister asked “can we take some money out of government” as he reflected on where they might save money.
While he affirmed the government had no plans to “alter the basics”, they were questioning how to run the government more efficiently.
“I think we’re essentially asking businesses across the country to be more efficient, to look at AI and tech in the way that they do their business. I want the same challenge in Government, which is, why shouldn’t we be more efficient?”
Sir Keir’s questions come ahead the spring statement on Wednesday, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already warned 10,000 civil service jobs will be cut this parliament.
Ms Reeves’ cut to civil service jobs has provoked criticism from Unions, as Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said the impact would disadvantage the public.
She said: “The impact of making cuts will not only disadvantage our members but the public we serve and the services they rely on.”
Key Points
- Prime Minister suggests 'cuts across the board' to make Government more efficient
- When is the Spring Statement and what do we know so far?
- Prime Minister confirms 'record amount' of money for councils to fix potholes
- Unions warn against Rachel Reeves cutting civil service jobs
- Minister refuses to comment on Rachel Reeves accepting concert tickets
Reeves must scrap ‘bonkers’ pledge on pension triple lock
10:51
,
Bryony Gooch
Rachel Reeves has been urged by one of her former advisers to abandon Labour’s commitment to the state pension triple lock, warning that the pledge is “bonkers” and risks hobbling the government’s ability to manage the economy.
Jim O’Neill, a former Treasury minister who quit the Conservatives and later advised Ms Reeves, warned the chancellor had “hemmed herself in” with unsustainable manifesto commitments ahead of Wednesday’s spring statement.
His comments come as senior economists and Labour figures warn that the government has “boxed itself in” with pledges not to raise major taxes or break the triple lock – which guarantees the state pension will rise by 2.5 per cent, average earnings, or inflation, whichever is highest.
David Maddox, Archie Mitchell and Kate Devlin report:
Rachel Reeves ‘confident’ the UK can avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs
10:37
,
Bryony Gooch
Rachel Reeves has said she has “confidence” the UK can escape Donald Trump’s trade tariffs - due to be imposed within days.
The chancellor did not rule out changing or ditching a tax on tech companies in a bid to duck the extra charges on goods entering the US, which experts have warned could shrink the already faltering UK economy.
Ms Reeves told Sky News she had “confidence in our negotiators” working to try to secure a carve out for the UK.
Kate Devlin reports:
Ed Davey: Trump’s a bully, Farage is his bootlicker and the Tories can’t fix a church roof
10:30
,
Bryony Gooch
As he addressed the Liberal Democrats spring conference, party leader Ed Davey argues that Britain should have little truck with Trump.
Read more here:
Starmer promises to clamp down on local authorities in war on potholes
10:18
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to clamp down on local authorities and force them to prove they are tackling potholes or lose the cash to fix them.
Ministers “want to get our sleeves rolled up” and fix potholes for good, the prime minister said on Monday, as he announced an additional £4.8bn of funding to carry out work on motorways and major A-roads.
Local authorities will start to get their share of £1.6bn in highway maintenance funding confirmed last year, up £500 million from the previous year, in mid-April.
Millie Cooke reports:
All UK families could see average living standards fall by 2030, forecast warns
10:11
,
Bryony Gooch
Average living standards could fall for all UK families by 2030, with those on the lowest incomes hit twice as hard as middle and high-earners, a new forecast suggests.
In analysis published days before chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce new spending cuts in her spring statement, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) issued a stark new warning to the Labour government.
While much discussion has focused on whether Ms Reeves will meet her “iron-clad” fiscal rules after rising borrowing costs wiped out the £10bn of headroom in her October budget, the JRF warned a preoccupation with the public purse risks a deterioration in the finances of ordinary families going under the radar.
Andy Gregory reports:
'I would have struggled to sleep if running Heathrow', says Transport Secretary
10:03
,
Bryony Gooch
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander responded to reports that the airport’s chief executive went back to bed after the crisis began late on Thursday night.
She said: “I’ve had to deal with some pretty stressful situations in my time.
“I probably would struggle to sleep, to be honest.”
She added: “It’s my understanding that he placed his chief operating officer in charge.
“He will have also known that there was going to be a huge number of very difficult decisions the following day.
“I’m not going to justify decisions that Heathrow leadership did or didn’t take. I wasn’t sat at the table. I didn’t have the information that he had available to him at that time.”
Potholes are 'not boring', insists Sir Keir
09:42
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted potholes are “not boring” as the Government announced a £1.6 billion cash injection into local government to fix Britain’s roads.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Prime Minister said: “I can tell you, if you hit a pothole, there will be some people hitting a pothole this morning, and then they are picking up an average £600 bill to their car or their van.
“That isn’t boring, that is really irritating. We’ve got far too many of them, and this is about getting that job done.”
NHS plan will see funds allocated to social care, Health Secretary says
09:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Health secretary Wes Streeting has said that spending NHS resources “more effectively through social care” will be better value for taxpayers and more helpful to patients.
Social care is currently most often paid for by councils, but thousands of people at any one time are stuck in NHS hospital beds even though they are fit to be discharged due to delayed arrangements in social care.
Mr Streeting suggested to BBC’s Panorama that he would increase NHS spending on social care but didn't confirm by how much.
He said: “I want to spend more of our resources through social care because it delivers better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers.
“So I’m convinced that we can spend NHS resources more effectively through social care.”
Prime Minister rejects minister for men: 'I don't think that's the answer'
09:13
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer has outright rejected the idea of creating a “minister for men” as conversations around toxic masculinity take hold in the media.
“I don’t think that’s the answer”, he said.
He instead suggested footballers and athletes could inspire boys and young men, but added that there was a need for role models in local communities.
He said: “I always go to sport for this. Footballers, athletes, I think they are role models.
“But I also think if you actually ask a young person, they’re more likely to identify somebody who’s in their school, a teacher, or somebody who maybe is a sports coach, something like that.
“So we need to make sure that – this is something that dads do, dad would reach for a sort of sporting hero – I think children, young people, are more likely to reach someone closer to them, within their school, within their community.
“And that’s, I think, where we need to do some of the work.”
Prime Minister says Government should not 'shrug our shoulders' at issues affecting boys and young men
09:04
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer said the Government should not “shrug our shoulders” and ignore problems of toxic masculinity affecting boys and men.
The Prime Minister’s comments came after former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate said many young men were turning to “manipulative and toxic influencers” because of a lack of role models, and the success of the Netflix show Adolescence.
Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live he had spoken to Sir Gareth about the issue.
“I am worried about this, I’ve got a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl,” he said.
“There’s a reason why the debate has suddenly sparked into life on this and that’s because I think a lot of parents, a lot of people who work with young people at school or elsewhere, recognise that we may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address.”
Labour MP warns benefits decision will 'impoverish' the most vulnerable in society
08:58
,
Bryony Gooch
Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman has said the benefits reforms risk impoverishing the most vulnerable and “shows a basic lack of humanity”.
Speaking to Holyrood Magazine, the MP, who has been critical of the UK Government response to the impending closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery, said: “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that these cuts are going to impoverish already vulnerable, disadvantaged people living in our society today.
“These are the people that we should be throwing our arms around and helping.
“It’s a measurement of any society how the government treats those who are in need, and by cutting that much from the welfare budget there is no doubt in my mind that we cannot claim there is no austerity under Labour if we are going to cut that much money from welfare.”
Prime Minister looks to AI to cut costs in the public sector
08:53
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer has said he thinks artificial intelligence will be “transformative” in cutting costs in the public sector ahead of the Spring Statement.
The Prime Minister told BBC Radio 5 Live: “If you look at tech and AI, they could do a huge amount now that is done manually.
“Some of the examples I’ve been given are in the NHS – a stethoscope and AI, working together can predict pretty accurately if you’re 60 years or over, whether you’re going to have a heart problem and therefore get in early, saves a fortune for the NHS.”
He said AI could be used for organising waiting lists and identifying people likely to miss appointments.
“There are all sorts of ways in which you can cut down the money you’re spending, but actually produce a better service,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be transformative. If you look at what tech and AI can do, I think it’s going to make a huge difference.”
Sir Keir says Spring Statement will not 'alter the basics' but asks 'can we take some money out of Government?'
08:50
,
Bryony Gooch
The Prime Minister confirmed that the Spring Statement will not “alter the basics” following “record investments” in October, as Rachel Reeves talks about cutting civil service jobs.
He said: “Well, we’re looking across the board. At the Budget last year we made some record investments, and we’re not going to undo that.
“So, for example, we put a record amount into the NHS that’s just delivered five months’ worth of waiting lists coming down five months in a row during the winter. That’s really good.
“So we’re not going to alter the basics, but we are going to look across and one of the areas that we will be looking at is, can we run the government more efficiently? Can we take some money out of Government?
“And I think we can. I think we’re essentially asking businesses across the country to be more efficient, to look at AI and tech in the way that they do their business. I want the same challenge in Government, which is, why shouldn’t we be more efficient?”
Border Force to get 'new anti-terrorism style powers' to tackle small boats, says PM
08:43
,
Bryony Gooch
The Prime Minister has announced that the Border Force will get new, anti-terrorism style powers, to deal with small boats.
He said: “I’ve long believed the way to do this is to break the gangs” involved in people smuggling, referring back to his time working in the CPS.
He added he doesn’t believe the gangs running small boats cannot be taken out.
Mike Amesbury had 'six and seven pints' before assaulting constituent
08:27
,
Bryony Gooch
Former Labour MP has said that alcohol and anxiety contributed to the reason he hit his constituent.
The former Runcorn and Helsby MP told GMB he had “probably about six and seven pints” in three pubs on an empty stomach after a busy Friday in parliament.
Amesbury pleaded guilty in January to assaulting constituent Paul Fellows, 45, after a row in the street in Frodsham, Cheshire, in the early hours of October 26.
He was given a 10-week prison term, which was reduced to a suspended sentence after an appeal and has resigned from Parliament.
He said the incident happened as the Labour government were having “a tough time in Parliament”.
Amesbury told the programme: “I was a very public face in community, a connected Member of Parliament but whether it winter fuel, other issues as well.”
He added: “It doesn’t make you somewhat anxious. Lots of members of parliament got personal alarms on them and so forth. Mr Fellows was somewhat vexed about, I think it was a local bridge.
“I think you mentioned winter fuel as well. I did feel personally threatened at that time and I made an instantaneous judgment call which was wrong. I should have walked away.”
Labour MP warns Prime Minister against 'appeasing' Trump
08:06
,
Bryony Gooch
Labour MPs have warned Sir Keir Starmer against appeasing Donald Trump as the Prime Minister said he “likes and respects” the US president.
The government is currently considering reducing a major tax for US tech companies while cutting disability benefits and public sector jobs.
Clive Lewis, former shadow cabinet minister, said, per The Guardian: “This was entirely predictable given how desperate the government is to appease the Trump administration and tech oligarchs around it.
“This is extractive politics at it worst and exactly the kind of deal the Maga [Make America Great Again movement] wants. Rather than move closer to Europe and stand together we’re allowing ourselves to be ripped off.”
When is the Spring Statement and what do we know so far?
07:54
,
Bryony Gooch
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the Spring Statement on Wednesday.
Rather than a formal budget, as Labour pledged to only deliver one per year, the statement is set to be an update on the health of the British economy and any progress since her last fiscal statement in October.
So far, Ms Reeves has ruled out any “tax and spend” policies, as she said: "We can't tax and spend our way to higher living standards and better public services. That's not available in the world we live in today.”
She has also talked about axing 10,000 civil service jobs in a hope to cut running costs by 15 per cent.
Albert Toth reports on what to expect here:
'All systems had to be turned off in Heathrow shutdown', says Transport Secretary
07:44
,
Bryony Gooch
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has responded to questions as to whether the closure of Heathrow Airport was necessary, after the National Grid has claimed it had the power necessary to stay open.
Ms Alexander told Sky News: “Clearly the fire that happened at a substation on the outskirts of Heathrow late on Thursday night, early on Friday morning, was an unprecedented situation and very significant in terms of its magnitude.”
The busiest airport in Europe was forced to close due to a fire at an electrical substation nearby which not only caused a power outage at Heathrow, but in the surrounding area of Hayes in West London.
Up to 300,000 passengers had their travel plans disrupted before the airport managed to get a number of flights running in the evening.
“I had a conversation with the chief executive of Heathrow on Friday morning.
“He told me that whilst there are multiple power supplies into the airport, the fire had created a very significant problem with respect to Terminals 2 and 4 specifically, and that there had to be some reconfiguration of power supplies into the airport.”
This meant “all the systems had to be turned off, and all the systems had to be restarted again in a safe way”.
While there were backup generators available, these were designed to protect the critical systems within the airport, not power it entirely.
Rachel Reeves’s tractor tax could cost 200,000 jobs, warns new research
07:41
,
Bryony Gooch
More than 200,000 jobs could be lost because of the government’s so-called tractor tax, according to new research.
The move would also cost the economy £14.9bn, according to a study by the independent consultancy CBI-Economics, which was commissioned by the group Family Business UK and looked at more than 4,000 businesses and farms across the country.
Nearly a quarter of family businesses - 23 per cent - and almost one in five family farms - 17 per cent - said they had cut jobs or halted recruitment since the planned tax was announced in the October budget.
Kate Devlin reports:
Government has not 'set a target' for Civil Service job cuts, says minister
07:35
,
Bryony Gooch
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said the Government is “not setting a target” for Civil Service job cuts.
She told Times Radio: “We have made a commitment to reduce the administrative costs of the Civil Service by 15% over the next five years.
“We haven’t set any head count reduction targets on that.”
When asked how many jobs will be lost, she said: “We’re not setting a target. (Then-prime minister) Boris Johnson did that and said that he wanted to reduce the number of people working in the Civil Service, and the numbers went up by 130,000.
“What we want to do is make this state more agile. We do think it should be leaner, and we think we can make better use of technology, AI, in how we provide public services.
“That is true for central Government departments, as much as it’s true for other parts of the public service.”
Unions warn against Rachel Reeves cutting civil service jobs.
07:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Union boss Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, has warned Rachel Reeves against cutting civil service running costs by 15 per cent.
She said: “The impact of making cuts will not only disadvantage our members but the public we serve and the services they rely on.
“We've heard this before under Gordon Brown when cuts were made to backroom staff and consequences of that was chaos.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that she is “confident” that 10,000 civil service jobs can be axed, after numbers increased during the pandemic.
