6:44 am, April 8, 2025
Starmer to face grilling from senior MPs amid ongoing tariff turmoil
Sir Keir Starmer will be questioned by senior MPs on Tuesday amid turmoil in global markets caused by US tariffs, which Donald Trump has insisted he will not pause.
The prime minister is expected to hold a Cabinet meeting of his most senior ministers in Downing Street on Tuesday morning, before he heads to Parliament, where he will appear before the Liaison Committee of senior parliamentarians on the last day the Commons sits before it heads into the Easter recess.
The global impact of Trump’s tariffs is likely to be on the agenda for the committee, where Sir Keir may also be questioned about the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and the US president’s announcement that America will hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear programme.
Minister: No options off the table to secure steelmaking in Scunthorpe
The government has said ‘no options are off the table’ to secure the future of steelmaking in Scunthorpe in response to a call for temporary nationalisation.
Business minister Sarah Jones added early blast furnace closures at the north Lincolnshire site are ‘far from a done deal’ and further talks are planned this week with British Steel’s Chinese owner Jingye.
The company has launched a consultation on the proposed closure of blast furnaces at the Scunthorpe plant, raising fears of thousands of job losses.
‘Tumbling’ oil prices could see petrol costs drop to lowest levels since 2021 – RAC
The falling cost of oil could see drivers benefitting from cheaper petrol prices over the coming weeks.
That’s according to the RAC’s head of policy Simon Williams, who says that drivers ‘ought to see cuts of up to 6p a litre at the pumps ahead of a notoriously busy Easter weekend on the roads.
‘As long as the barrel carries on trading around or below the $65 mark, retailers will be obliged to pass on the savings they’re benefitting from to their customers on the forecourt. The RAC believes they should be motivated to do so as they continue to be scrutinised by the Competition and Markets Authority, which only a week ago reported that it’s still concerned about a lack of competition in fuel retailing.’
The markets
Global stock markets tumbled further on Monday as US president Donald Trump threatened to escalate his tariff measures against China during a volatile trading session.
London’s top stocks slid to their weakest level for more than a year on Monday as traders digested growing concerns over a potential global recession. The FTSE 100 fell by 4.38% to 7,702.08, its lowest closing price since March last year, at the end of trading.
The US’s S&P 500 had major swings on Monday during a choppy session but was around 1% lower when European markets closed, while the Dow Jones index was down 1.52%. Meanwhile, the value of the pound dropped against both the dollar and euro.
Rayner faces call to say whether Army could help clean up Birmingham bins
Angela Rayner has faced calls to say whether the Army could be deployed in Birmingham to help collect bins during a strike.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan asked the deputy prime minister whether Army personnel could ‘assist the local charities and organisations that are helping’ to clear up waste left in the streets during the ongoing dispute.
Members of Unite launched an all-out strike last month over pay and jobs which has led to tonnes of black bin bags not being collected.
Myanmar quake rescue efforts wind down as death toll exceeds 3,600
Efforts to find survivors from Myanmar’s devastating March 28 earthquake are winding down.
Rescue efforts have been supplanted by increasing relief and recovery activity, with the death toll from the disaster surpassing 3,600 and still climbing.
A situation report issued late on Monday by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said more than 17.2 million people are living in affected areas and urgently need food, drinking water, health care, cash assistance and emergency shelter.
Weather
Today will start with low cloud, mist, and fog in the north and east, but be mostly sunny elsewhere, reports BBC Weather. The Northern Isles remain cloudy, although it’ll be another pleasantly mild day for most areas with temperatures topping 16 degrees.
Tonight will be clear for most, though mist and fog return to northern and eastern areas. It will be chilly with light winds.
