Oil above $100 and higher gilt yields have led markets to price the Bank of England keeping Bank Rate at 3.75%, making a March cut unlikely.
Counter Terrorism Policing arrested three men, including a 39-year-old identified by Sky News as Labour MP Joani Reid’s husband, in a China-related National Security Act inquiry. Reid said she had seen nothing to suspect wrongdoing and said she will step back from Parliament while Labour investigates, voluntarily suspending herself from the whip. All three men were released on bail until May and no charges have been announced.
A YouGov Westminster voting intention poll for Sky News and The Times puts Reform UK first on 23%, with the Greens second on 21% and Labour and the Conservatives tied on 16%, while the Liberal Democrats are on 14%. Sky News said it is the first time the Greens have ranked second in YouGov’s regular series and that 21% is their highest recorded score. The poll surveyed 2,073 adults on 1–2 March, following a Green by-election win in Gorton and Denton.
The FCDO said the first UK government charter flight departed Muscat, Oman on Thursday to bring British nationals home, with more flights planned. Yvette Cooper said over 5,000 people returned over the past two days on increased commercial services, while airspace restrictions continue amid Iranian strikes. The FCDO urged Britons in several countr
Claim: Reform UK, senior Conservatives and Donald Trump say the UK should “drill” the North Sea to bring down energy prices and boost security. Reality: UK oil and gas prices are largely set on international markets, so extra UK extraction would only marginally affect what households pay—especially in the near term. New exploration takes years (often decades) to turn into production, so it won’t change the next price-cap periods.
