Reeves says inflation fall reveals ‘plan for change is working’ – UK politics dwell

Our senior economics correspondent Richard Partington has this evaluation of at present’s inflation information, suggesting that the optimism of Rachel Reeves in her assertion this morning might nicely have been misplaced. You possibly can learn it right here.

With talks deliberate for later at present, Birmingham metropolis council’s chief has mentioned it’s “open to negotiations” with Unite on resolving the dispute which has disrupted refuse assortment within the metropolis, however mentioned he was dissatisfied union members had not accepted the supply presently on the desk.

PA Media studies John Cotton mentioned “It’s really disappointing that Unite have rejected a second reasonable offer from the council. However, our door remains open to talk, so I’m really pleased that there will be further talks taking place later today.”

“Obviously, I’m not going to offer a running commentary on what happens in those negotiations but what I will say is what we cannot accept is anything that results in crossing our red lines around our equal pay liability, or indeed imperilling the transformation of the waste service.

“These are really important things that need to happen for the benefit of the citizens of Birmingham, but we’re absolutely open to negotiations and bringing this dispute to a close which has gone on, frankly, for far too long.”

Cotton claimed that many of the backlog of garbage piling up on the streets of Birmingham may very well be cleared by the top of this week, stating that greater than 18,000 tonnes of garbage has been cleared off the streets since 4 April.

Minister Lilian Greenwood has confronted questions over immigration in the course of the media spherical on Wednesday morning, confirming to Sky Information “there are discussions ongoing with the French government” on the difficulty.

The FT has reported {that a} “migrant return” deal is likely to be within the body.

Greenwood instructed viewers “We are absolutely focused on fixing the broken asylum system that we have inherited from the Conservative government. It is not a short-term issue. This is going to take really hard work to tackle those organised gangs that are preying on people, putting their lives in danger as they try to cross the Channel to the UK. Of course, that’s going to involve conversations with our counterparts on the European continent.”

In a separate alternate on the difficulty throughout an look on GB Information, she castigated the earlier authorities for losing “hundreds of millions of pounds” on its Rwanda deportation scheme. Greenwood mentioned:

Clearly what we’re doing is guaranteeing that these individuals who do arrive right here illegally and haven’t any professional declare are topic to returns, and that’s what we’ve been doing since we got here to workplace.

Undoubtedly there may be an incentive for folks to return in the event that they assume they’re going to have the ability to keep. We noticed below the final authorities. An enormous backlog in asylum claims. Folks have been allowed to remain right here, at enormous price to the taxpayer, residing in resorts. That could be a fully unacceptable state of affairs.

Individuals who arrive within the UK must have their claims checked out and processed rapidly. In fact, there might be individuals who have a professional proper to be right here and real refugees. However for individuals who should not, they must be returned, and that’s the system that we’re decided to make sure works successfully.

Nigel Farage has issued a neighborhood election marketing campaign video this morning, which he recorded yesterday afternoon, during which he calls the Conservative social gathering a “self-entitled arrogant up themselves bunch of losers.”

He claims that whereas he has been out campaigning in Durham and Northumberland, the Conservatives “are not on the pitch, not campaigning out around the country, not appearing for any media interviews.”

There may be extra financial information being launched at present by the ONS – this time on home costs and lease.

The ONS reported:

Common UK home costs elevated by 5.4%, to £268,000 within the yr to February 2025, up from 4.8% within the 12 months to January 2025.

Common UK personal rents elevated by 7.7% within the yr to March 2025, that is down from 8.1% in February 2025.

As ever there are variations between nations and areas. The ONS mentioned the north west was the English area with the very best home worth inflation, at 8%, and London the bottom with 1.7%.

The common home worth for Wales was £207,000 in February 2025, up 4.1%, the common home worth for Scotland was £186,000 in February 2025, up 5.7% and in Northern Eire the determine was £183,000, which was up 9%.

A authorities minister has reiterated the decision for the Unite union to just accept a deal and finish the bin strike in Birmingham.

Talking on GB Information this morning, Lillian Greenwood, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the way forward for roads, mentioned residents have been dealing with “a completely unacceptable situation”

She mentioned “We’ve all seen the pictures of rubbish piling up on the streets, and it’s time for this dispute to come to an end as quickly as possible. There’s a deal on the table. I think unite members should accept that deal.”

She claimed the deal “ensures that no one loses pay. This strike needs to come to an end. People in Birmingham deserve to have their streets back clean and tidy and not be facing the appalling situation that we’ve seen over the last six weeks.”

Birmingham metropolis council chief John Cotton additionally spoke to the media this morning, saying the waste assortment service within the metropolis “fundamentally needs reform.”

Talking on BBC Radio 4’s As we speak programme, he mentioned of the continued bin assortment strike: “We want to find a negotiated solution to this but what we cannot do is take steps that result in us creating further equal pay problems for the council, or indeed prejudice in our budget position, and also the service fundamentally needs reform.

“We know that the way services haven’t been delivering for parts of the city well enough for long enough, and that’s something that we need to change.”

Cotton added that the council is “absolutely focused” on guaranteeing the buildup of waste is cleared and will probably be “addressing any incidents” which have arisen about pest infestation.

My colleague Amy Sedghi has a separate dwell weblog with its concentrate on the approaching UK supreme courtroom ruling on whether or not the definition of girl within the Equality Act 2010 consists of transgender girls with gender recognition certificates. You possibly can observe that right here.

Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey has mentioned he hopes the federal government gained’t think about one other Chinese language agency for the long run possession of British Metal and the blast furnaces in Scunthorpe.

Showing on Sky Information, Davey mentioned “I would caution them against” one other Chinese language associate, telling viewers “One of the worries that I think we’ve all had is the Chinese firm might have been under orders being influenced by the Chinese government.

“It’s in China’s interest that we don’t have our own ability to make virgin steel … so I think we should push back against that, and I really hope the government won’t go down that route. There are other options.”

Davey additionally spoke concerning the refusal of authorities in Hong Kong to permit Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse to enter there. He mentioned:

I feel that is fairly worrying, actually. We’ve already mentioned that the UK authorities ought to name within the Chinese language ambassador for a correct clarification of what occurred.

We’ve had some studies from the Chinese language authorities attempting in charge Wera, which, in fact, is totally outrageous.

And we’ve known as on the Chinese language to publish any transcripts or any recordings they’ve. I feel that may discover that Wera’s account is correct.

Allow us to keep in mind Wera wasn’t even happening a political go to. She was visiting her new yearly born grandson. She was happening a household go to. And it was fairly incorrect of the Hong Kong and Chinese language authorities to do what they did.

And I feel it’s proper that we, as not simply the Liberal Democrats, however as MPs, as a rustic, demand a full clarification.

Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey has been doing the media spherical this morning, as campaigning continues forward of native elections in some areas of England in Could. He has been calling for a reform of rural policing.

Showing on Sky Information he instructed viewers “Rural crime is really serious, affecting many communities: livestock theft, equipment theft from farms, hare coursing which is seeing organised crime gangs damaging crops and threatening farmers and their families, and there’s not the police there to deal with it, with the technology to deal with it.

“And we’ve done an analysis asking the police services in England and Wales, how many officers they have dedicated to these types of rural crimes. And it’s really shocking. It’s less than 0.5% of police resources are dedicated to these crimes.

“So we’re saying that’s wrong, and in areas where there’s particularly few resources, places like Devon and Cornwall, they’ve only got four police officers. That needs to be changed. And they need to have new technology, things like drones to help them do their work.”

It was advised to Davey {that a} falling variety of law enforcement officials in England and Wales was one thing that began below the coalition authorities of the early 2010s, of which he was an element.

He mentioned “Well I think most of the problems have started in recent years, and frankly, you are talking about a long time ago. The Conservatives, since 2015, they were in power for nine years, failed to invest in our police.”

You’ll find our information to the native elections right here.

Daisy Cooper’s Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey has additionally been speaking concerning the prospects of a UK-US commerce deal, after US vice-president JD Vance floated a constructive message concerning the thought in an interview yesterday.

Showing on Sky Information, and requested for his ideas on a possible deal, Davey instructed viewers:

If we will get a superb commerce deal that’s in our nation’s pursuits with the US, we’ll assist it. What we’ve mentioned is any deal ought to come earlier than parliament, so MPs can scrutinise the main points.

He made the purpose that in opposition Labour had known as for commerce offers to be seen by parliament, and mentioned he hoped they might keep good to their phrase.

He mentioned parliamentary scrutiny was important “particularly when we hear rather worrying reports that the government may be willing to do a deal with Trump on agriculture, potentially undermining standards.”

Davey additionally mentioned it could be “unacceptable” to the Lib Dems if a commerce deal “relaxed our rules on online safety for children.”

The Liberal Democrats have additionally remarked on the most recent inflation figures, with Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper warning Rachel Reeves about complacency and calling for enhanced financial cooperation with the EU. She mentioned:

The chancellor might be making a grave error if she lets her guard down over at present’s figures. These already fighting the sky-high price of residing merely gained’t be capable to stand up to one other hammer blow to their pockets, resembling from resident Trump’s international commerce battle.

As an alternative of trying to appease Trump and Vance in a commerce deal that waters down our excessive British requirements, the federal government should get up for folks and small companies in opposition to their financial bullying, by forging new commerce offers with our closest European and Commonwealth allies.

The Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride has claimed authorities selections are “driving up the cost of living.”

Reacting to information that inflation had slowed, Stride mentioned: “Inflation remains above target and we know from official forecasts that price rises are set to increase further this year because of the chancellor’s choices.

“The Conservatives left Labour with inflation bang on target but the chancellor’s reckless union payouts, tax hikes, and borrowing binge is driving up the cost of living.

“Be in no doubt, the chancellor’s choices are keeping inflation higher for longer and working families are paying the price.”

Rishi Sunak’s authorities had inflation on the authorities’s goal of two% for one month simply previous to the 2024 basic election, after virtually three years of a lot greater charges.

Phillip Inman is an economics author for the Guardian

UK inflation dropped to 2.6% in March, growing the stress on Financial institution of England policymakers to chop rates of interest subsequent month.

Costs development was weak forward of an anticipated rise in April as households start to pay greater council tax and utility payments, in addition to an unsure outlook posed by Donald Trump’s tariff battle.

The Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) mentioned falling gasoline costs and flat prices for recreation and tradition actions drove inflation decrease, though this was offset by worth rises for clothes and footwear. The worth of meals was additionally a consider dragging down costs development after it was flat in March in contrast with rising costs in the identical month final yr.

Good morning, and welcome to our rolling UK politics protection for Wednesday. Listed here are your headlines …

I’m Martin Belam, and I might be with you at present. You possibly can attain me at martin.belam@theguardian.com you probably have noticed typos or what you think about to be errors or omissions.

Talking concerning the newest inflation figures, chancellor Rachel Reeves mentioned there have been “encouraging signs that our plan for change is working.”

UK inflation dropped to 2.6% in March, that means costs are rising barely extra slowly. Reeves mentioned:

Inflation falling for 2 months in a row, wages rising quicker than costs, and constructive development figures are encouraging indicators that our plan for change is working, however there may be extra to be carried out.

I do know many households are nonetheless fighting the price of residing and that is an anxious time due to a altering world.

That’s the reason the federal government has boosted pay for 3 million folks by growing the minimal wage, frozen gasoline responsibility and begun rolling out free breakfast golf equipment in major faculties.