Parliament may have risen for recess, but there will be few politicians venturing far from their constituencies as the pressure ramps up ahead of May’s local elections. Labour has launched its campaign this morning with the slogan ‘Pride in Britain’, and a major focus is on reducing the cost of living burden despite the turbulent geopolitical context at play.
The Labour party is fighting an uphill battle - one poll projects a worst-case scenario where Labour loses 1900 seats, the Conservatives lose 1000, and Reform is set to capitalise by winning well over 2000. This morning, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds was sent out to do some heavy expectation management and said the Prime Minister will not resign, even if Labour’s performance in May is particularly poor.
Starmer partly has US President Donald Trump to thank for his current job security, because the Labour Party reportedly does not want to change leadership during a significant war. The Prime Minister’s response to the US-Israel war with Iran has boosted his popularity, with the British public respecting the courage he has shown in turning down President Trump’s calls for increased military support in the conflict. However, his overall approval rating is still negative and will likely take a further hit in May, but at present, prospective leadership contenders are keeping relatively quiet.
Another issue from the war with Iran that is causing significant problems for the government is the growing concern about oil shortages and the impact that will have on daily life in the UK. Despite the government’s message being that supplies remain stable, Shell’s Chief Executive has said Europe will face shortages in the coming weeks, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned petrol retailers against “profiteering” and “price-gouging”. There are also potential significant ramifications for the availability of jet fuel, with summer holidays potentially thrown into doubt for some.
This week, the government is also spending a high amount of energy pursuing the UK-EU ‘reset’, with the latest negotiations on the youth mobility deal stalling. The EU is unhappy with the UK’s attempts to limit the number of young Europeans who can access the scheme, but they have attempted to rescue the deal by conceding to a brake clause should the numbers become unmanageable. This is just one minor element of Britain’s new relationship with the EU, but the impasse does not bode well for future negotiations.
Headlines
- Partial government shutdown becomes the longest in US history - BBC News
- Paris foils ‘terror attack’ on Bank of America - The Telegraph
- UK risks losing defence tech start-ups to relocation amid funding delays - Financial Times
Parliament is in recess and will return on Monday 13th April.
Consultations
- Fees for planning applications - closes 18th May
- Proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales - closes 18th June
Statistics
- Housing affordability in England and Wales - Updated 25th March
- Supported internship programme: evaluation of investment - Updated 27th March
- Energy Statistics for Rural England - Updated 27th March