Reeves to face MPs’ grilling over cost-of-living pressures – UK politics live | Politics
Ministers under pressure to deliver cost of living support package amid inflation fears
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. Chancellor, Rachel Reevesand the prime minister, Keir StarmerThe government may be ready to intervene to protect UK households against major cost-of-living shocks at the next energy price cap, the government said yesterday, with international benchmark Brent crude rising as high as $119.50 a barrel on Monday.
Brent later fell to around $91 after Donald Trump described the US-Israeli war against Iran as “pretty much done” in an interview with CBS News last night.
Conflicting statements on the wartime timeline, together with fears of prolonged conflict, have added to market turmoil, leading governments to consider support packages to protect people from higher prices brought about by a predicted rise in inflation.
Noting that the global situation is “highly uncertain”, the British Chambers of Commerce predicts inflation will remain “certainly above” the Bank of England’s 2% target.
After a meeting with G7 counterparts on Monday, Reeves said he was ready to support a “coordinated release” of international oil reserves to ease the economic shock of the escalating crisis.
He also called for action to “guarantee the safety of ships” passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The war has severely reduced maritime traffic in the strait, which carries approximately one-fifth of global seaborne crude oil.
Starmer said a prolonged conflict would affect “everyone’s life and home” but promised ministers would try to “get ahead” in the event of that incident.
Reeves to appear in Commons for Treasury questions At 11.30am he faced calls to abandon a planned 5p increase in fuel duty in September and prepare an emergency package to protect households from rises in global energy prices and inflationary pressures.
important events
This policy document Here’s what he says about changing fuel tax rates:
This measure, alongside other cost-of-living measures announced in Budget 2025, continues to support motorists by freezing current fuel tax rates until the end of August 2026.
Rates will gradually return to March 2022 levels by March 2027, avoiding a 5-person increase in March 2026 when the cut ends.
The planned increase based on inflation for 2026-2027 is also being cancelled. This measure will save the average motorist £49 between 2026 and 2027 compared to previous plans.
Reformation England leader Nigel Farageand Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick They are expected to hold a press conference at a petrol station in Derbyshire shortly and will no doubt accuse ministers of not doing enough to help drivers.
Writing in the SunFarage and Jenrick said:
If Reformation had been in government this would never have happened. We’ll spend the next few months trying to embarrass Rachel Reeves and get her canceled.
But if he doesn’t – whether out of fear of the Greens or out of favor with backbenchers on the far left – then Reform will reverse this in our first budget. Because what he did isn’t fair.
You can follow the latest developments in the market on our live business blog, which covers how oil prices fell and stocks recovered after Donald Trump said the war would end soon:
The RAC, which represents motorists in the UK, said average petrol and diesel prices were likely to continue rising; This is one of many examples of how turmoil in global energy markets is already affecting households.
i reports He could reverse Rachel Reeves’ plan to increase fuel duty in September, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said yesterday, citing a non-committal quote. The spokesman said: “We are monitoring prices closely in light of the situation in the Middle East. I know there have been reports about fuel duty. Chancellor.” keeps all taxes under review “Makes decisions regarding the budget.”
Rachel Reeves faces growing calls to scrap planned increase in fuel duty
As we noted in the opening piece, Rachel Reeves is under pressure to cancel a fuel tax increase planned for September that will make drivers pay more for petrol and diesel as the government reverses the temporary cut it introduced in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In last year’s budget, Reeves said the 5 percent cut would be eliminated between September 2026 and March 2027, but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had called for him to change course in light of the Israel-US war with Iran. Conservatives have vowed to vote to reverse the planned increase.
Conservative party leader Kemi Badenochin question:
Rachel Reeves is planning to increase Fuel Tax at the worst possible moment for the first time in 15 years. He knew very well in his Spring Statement last week that global instability was pushing oil prices back up.
Instead of helping families and businesses, he chose to pat himself on the back. Now drivers across the country are facing the double whammy of rising oil prices and higher fuel taxes. That’s Labour’s instinct: higher taxes and wrong priorities. Labor Party Must Stop Fuel Tax Increase!
Liberal Democrat leader, Ed DaveyHe went further and said that the prime minister should convene the government emergency Cobra committee “to personally take action against the threat of brutal price shocks facing families, retirees and businesses.”
Ministers under pressure to deliver cost of living support package amid inflation fears
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. Chancellor, Rachel Reevesand the prime minister, Keir StarmerThe government may be ready to intervene to protect UK households against major cost-of-living shocks at the next energy price cap, the government said yesterday, with international benchmark Brent crude rising as high as $119.50 a barrel on Monday.
Brent later fell to around $91 after Donald Trump described the US-Israeli war against Iran as “pretty much done” in an interview with CBS News last night.
Conflicting statements on the wartime timeline, together with fears of prolonged conflict, have added to market turmoil, leading governments to consider support packages to protect people from higher prices brought about by a predicted rise in inflation.
Noting that the global situation is “highly uncertain”, the British Chambers of Commerce predicts inflation will remain “certainly above” the Bank of England’s 2% target.
After a meeting with G7 counterparts on Monday, Reeves said he was ready to support a “coordinated release” of international oil reserves to ease the economic shock of the escalating crisis.
He also called for action to “guarantee the safety of ships” passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The war has severely reduced maritime traffic in the strait, which carries approximately one-fifth of global seaborne crude oil.
Starmer said a prolonged conflict would affect “everyone’s life and home” but promised ministers would try to “get ahead” in the event of that incident.
Reeves to appear in Commons for Treasury questions At 11.30am he faced calls to abandon a planned 5p increase in fuel duty in September and prepare an emergency package to protect households from rises in global energy prices and inflationary pressures.
