Overview

• Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen in tears during a Commons debate on social welfare reforms, with her office attributing the emotional moment to personal reasons unrelated to policy.
• An unprecedented rebellion by 126 Labour MPs blocked proposed limits on disability benefits and prompted the government to abandon an estimated £5 billion in projected savings.
• Keir Starmer publicly reaffirmed that Reeves will remain in post and praised her performance despite mounting pressure from within his own party.
• Critics in the British press have branded Starmer an “invisible prime minister,” with recent polls showing 62 percent of voters disapproving of his government’s direction.
• Starmer is touting trade agreements with the United States, the European Union and India as key achievements intended to bolster his administration’s record.