Rachel Reeves says ‘now is not the time to put our economic stability at risk’
Starmer cracks joke about Labour turmoil in Commons speech
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has cautioned, “now is not the time” to risk instability amid a potential leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, despite recent positive economic figures.
The UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.3 per cent in March and 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, marking its strongest growth since the first quarter of 2025.
This growth was primarily driven by the services industry, which saw a 0.8 per cent increase, alongside rises in manufacturing and construction output.
Economists, however, warn that this pace of growth is unlikely to be sustained, predicting a stall for the rest of the year due to the ongoing Iran war, rising energy prices, and political uncertainty.
Experts suggest that some of the March growth was due to “front loading” or stockpiling by businesses and consumers in anticipation of future shortages and price increases.
