Reeves warns that benefits could be cut for Gen Z individuals not actively seeking work, as the Chancellor prioritises funding elsewhere and sparks debate over youth unemployment and welfare policy.

The Chancellor plans to reduce welfare spending more dramatically than originally pledged, while the Treasury has ruled out further tax increases.

Defence Secretary John Healey is visiting Washington while the PM coordinates urgent talks with international counterparts and opposition leaders, as a prominent Eastern European head of state appeals to a former US President in an effort to rescue a fragile peace arrangement that spotlights Britain’s global influence and the active role of senior royals in bolstering the PM’s diplomacy.

The PM, determined to bolster a coalition alongside key Middle Eastern nations and Western partners, seeks fresh diplomatic measures to ensure stability, strengthen international cooperation, and forge new security arrangements in the face of escalating pressures.