Politics latest: Rachel Reeves to deliver spring statement as war rages in Middle East

Rachel Reeves’ spring reveal is expected to be a low-key affair lasting just 20 minutes in the commons on Tuesday.

The government said it would limit itself to one “financial event” per year; This means the chancellor cannot announce any policy measures.

Instead he will use the speech to say the economy is “stronger and more secure” and insist the government has the “right economic plan for the country”.

The government will point to falling inflation and interest rate cuts as it achieves success.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, the chancellor will say: “This government has the right economic plan for our country in a world that is becoming more uncertain.

“Stability in public finances, investment in infrastructure and reform of our economy.

“Building growth throughout Britain, not with the contribution of a few people or a few parts of the country, but with a state that takes steps, not backs down.”

His announcement comes amid a growing crisis in the Middle East, where economists have warned energy and fuel prices could rise.

The chancellor is expected to emphasize the importance of economic stability in an increasingly uncertain world.

Darren Jones has rejected claims that the government’s limited involvement in the Middle East is because the prime minister is “pandering to Muslim voters”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Obviously we are talking to the Americans about their operations, but the point is that we are not involved militarily in the wider conflict in the Middle East; we are involved in a very discreet and narrow way to defend British interests, British citizens and British armed forces.”

The Prime Minister’s chief secretary said: “The UK will act in the interests of British citizens regardless of their beliefs or where they are in the UK.

“I think the public will rightly say they do not want to be involved in a wider war in the Middle East, but they expect us to do all we can to defend British citizens.”

Darren Jones has responded to Donald Trump’s latest criticism, emphasizing that the relationship between the US and the UK is “important” and “will continue to be important”.

US president told Sun The relationship with Britain “is obviously not what it used to be”.

Asked if relations had changed, the prime minister’s chief secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The UK-America relationship is important. It has been for a long time and will continue to be, and we are now working collaboratively on defense action to protect British citizens in the Middle East.”

“I think the disappointment, from the way the president expressed it, was that we were not involved in the initial American and Israeli attacks on Iran, but as the prime minister told the House of Commons yesterday, we will only engage British armed forces with a clear plan and on a lawful basis when British interests are at stake.

“We are currently doing this for defensive action, but we will not be involved in a broader conflict in the Middle East.”

A former Conservative Chancellor has warned that a war on Iran could raise energy costs and inflation.

Jeremy Hunt told Sky News his rule of thumb as chancellor was: “If international oil and gas prices rise by 20 per cent, that’s 1 per cent higher inflation and half a per cent lower growth. And you can’t ignore that kind of impact on the economy.”

He said that if the unrest continues, the government will have to react to events in Iran.

Mr Hunt said that while it was “certainly a calmer environment” than the Chancellor’s previous statement, we were in a “very unpredictable world” and the UK was “more exposed” to rising energy prices than other countries.

Ed Davey has called on “tax exiles” and “ruined footballers” in Dubai to start paying taxes to fund the armed forces in the UK.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats asked Keir Starmer on Monday whether he agreed that it was “right” for British expats in the region to “start paying taxes to fund our Armed Forces, just like the rest of us”.

Mr Davey later said: “We rightly expect our Armed Forces to protect British citizens abroad.

“So it is right that tax exiles, whether right-wing political pundits or washed-up footballers, pay UK tax like the rest of us.”

Robert Jenrick said Keir Starmer’s “failure to be a reliable ally” had put relations with the US “under great pressure”.

His comments followed earlier comments by Donald Trump. Sun The relationship with the UK is “frankly not what it used to be”.

A spokesman for the Reform UK Treasury told Times Radio it was “sad” to see the “special relationship” expressed in this way.

Mr Jenrick said: “It is bigger and deeper than a prime minister and a president, so I am confident it can be rebuilt in the future.

“But it is now quite clear that the prime minister’s inability to be a reliable ally of the United States puts him under great pressure, and that is cause for concern.

“I’m actually more interested in Britain’s interests than what any other leader thinks of the UK, even though we have a very important ally.

“And again I think Starmer got it wrong, because we have seen drone attacks on our base in Cyprus endanger our soldiers and the military families living there.

“The Prime Minister’s reaction was too slow. He should have put our bases into use earlier and used the military assets we have more harshly to defend that base.”

Donald Trump has criticized the relationship with Britain under Sir Keir Starmer, saying he was “very sad” to see it was “clearly not what it used to be”.

He added that it “took too long” for the Prime Minister to change his mind.

Hitting out at the prime minister directly in an interview with The Sun, the US president said: “It wasn’t helpful at all. I never thought I’d see this. I never thought I’d see this from the UK. We love the UK.”

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

QatarEnergy said it would stop producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and put one of the world’s largest suppliers out of business indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles, and its defense teams shot down an incoming plane. Workers appear to have been evacuated from the refinery, which has a capacity of more than half a million barrels of crude oil per day.

Household energy bills could rise by up to £2,500 a year if the conflict in Iran causes a long-term disruption to global gas supplies, analysts have warned.

David Maddox, Political Editor of The Independent, writes:

Donald Trump said he was “very sad” to see relations with Britain “clearly not what they used to be” and warned that Britain was “not that well-known country” anymore.

US president told Sun: “Prevent people who hate you from coming from foreign countries.”

It comes after the president criticized Keir Starmer for not allowing US jets to be deployed from UK bases for attacks on Iran.

Speaking about the British prime minister, Trump said: “He was no use at all.

“I never thought I’d see this. I never thought I’d see this from the UK.”

He added: “This is actually a different world. This is a very different relationship to the relationship we had with your country before.”

“It’s very sad to see that the relationship is not what it used to be.”