Rachel Reeves confirmed the UK is currently in “intense negotiations” with the US over tariffs “across the board”. The Chancellor said she “does not want to see tariffs go up”, highlighting her support for “free and open trade”. Report by Faragt. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rachel Reeves has visited Wellington Barracks in central London after announcing in her Spring Statement that defence spending will increase by 2.5% in GDP. The chancellor and the defence secretary John Healey were shown the first AI-powered strike drone, as they learnt about the work of people on the strategic command's innovation unit. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The chancellor says house building commitments in her Spring Statement will benefit young people and that she is "not in favour of national service". Speaking to ITV News, Rachel Reeves adds watching a Sabrina Carpenter concert in a box was "the right thing to do" given her security needs. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rachel Reeves has outlined her plans to "strengthen our nation's defences", by increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP and to build 1.5 million new homes. The chancellor acknowledges that the OBR has downgraded the UK's growth forecast for 2025 from 2% to 1%, but adds, "it has upgraded growth for next year and every year after that". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Yvette Cooper says the rules around illegal immigration and people-smuggling haven't been respected "for far too long". The home secretary, who hosted 40 foreign counterparts at the Border Security Summit in London, adds they have agreed "new law enforcement cooperation" and "intelligence sharing" to "go after these vile criminal gangs and tackle this terrible trade in human beings". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
People smugglers were given an "open invitation" to send migrants to the UK because the police and intelligence agencies were not working together, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The prime minister said he was "angry" about the scale of illegal migration as he convened a summit involving 40 countries to address the problem. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Sir Keir Starmer has held bilateral talks with the Finnish president at Downing Street. Alexander Stubb said he "hit it off" with the UK prime minister "straight off the bat" and added that the UK is "back in the game" on the international stage. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The prime minister has hosted a roundtable with the creators of TV series Adolescence, to discuss how to stop young people from being influenced by toxic content online. Sitting next to Jack Thorne, one of its writers, Sir Keir Starmer said the show is "a torch that shines intensely brightly on a combination of issues that many people don't know how to respond to", but admits that, as a dad, he did not find it "not easy viewing". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Robert Jenrick says the justice secretary's decision to override independent guidance on how ethnic minorities should be sentenced is "unfair" and "discriminatory". The shadow justice secretary adds, "she has failed totally in her duty to uphold the rule of law". He adds "two-tier sentencing" is "biased" against men, white people and Christians. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will give her Spring statement in the House of Commons this lunchtime, where she is expected to announce welfare cuts and a boost to defence spending. Report by Brooksl. Like..
A shadow Treasury minister says he welcomes the chancellor's £2.2bn boost to defence spending, but adds, "to invest in defence you've got to have a strong economy as well" and that "growth has..