Morning Briefing and Political Updates
Good morning. Keir Starmer is scheduled to hold a press conference this morning where, according to No 10, he will address the Iran war and the government's measures to support people domestically. As we enter April and the new financial year, the government has introduced initiatives aimed at assisting with the cost of living. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have presented an alternative list of proposals and are asserting that "Keir Starmer and his chancellor have piled on extra costs leaving families almost £1,000 worse off this year."
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Media Engagements and Energy Bill Support Plans
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also been active in the media. She is scheduled to appear on the Jeremy Vine show later today but has already provided a somewhat clearer outline of her plans to assist with energy bills compared to her previous statements.
It is known that she has ruled out a universal support package and intends to focus aid on lower-income families. She has now indicated that intervention will not occur until autumn, coinciding with the period when central heating usage typically increases.
"From July to September, gas usage, especially by families and pensioners, is the lowest of any months of the year because it is the summer months …
It will be really from the autumn onwards that people’s gas usage starts increasing. So at the moment we are working on a range of contingencies. And we are looking at more targeted measures. We are looking at ways we can support people based on their household income."
Regarding the universal support package introduced by the previous Conservative government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reeves commented:
"I want to learn the lessons of the past because when Russia invaded Ukraine, the richest, the best-off third of households got more than a third of the support. That makes no sense at all."
Agenda for the Day
- 10am: Keir Starmer holds a press conference at Downing Street.
- Morning: Kemi Badenoch visits Solihull to announce the Conservatives’ plan for a "national pothole patrol."
- 10am: Reform UK holds a press conference in Glasgow.
- Lunchtime: Chancellor Rachel Reeves is interviewed by Jeremy Vine on Radio 2.
- Afternoon: Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader, visits south-west Hertfordshire.
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