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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is confident his plan to reduce rising prices is working and will soon ease the financial strain on UK households.

Ahead of parliament returning on Monday, Mr Hunt acknowledged that many households across the country are still struggling financially.

He emphasised that “sticking to the plan” to reduce inflation is the best way to help them.

The chancellor will be interviewed on Trevor Phillips on Sunday from 8.30am today

Despite the Bank of England‘s prediction of a 7.1% inflation rate, experts still expect it to drop to around 5% by the year-end.

Inflation has eased back to 6.8% from a recent eye-watering peak of 11.1% last October, but is still far from the Bank of England’s 2% target.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has significantly upgraded the UK’s growth figures, showing that the economy rebounded from the COVID pandemic faster than previously thought, surpassing its pre-pandemic size nearly two years ago.

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Food prices ‘remain a worry’

“As we move into autumn, I know family budgets are still stretched, but inflation is coming down and now is the time to see the job through. We are on track to halve inflation this year and by sticking to our plan we will ease the pressure on families and businesses alike,” Mr Hunt said.

“And it should be no surprise, despite the doubting from some, latest figures show we have bounced back better than many other G7 economies and are one of the most attractive countries in the world to invest.”

He added: “This government is unlocking the UK’s potential – attracting more investment, creating new jobs and growing the economy.”

Chancellor attempting to start autumn term on the front foot – but not everyone will be happy

Jeremy Hunt wants to strike an optimistic tone.

Following the summer recess, he and the prime minister will want to reset the Conservative Party, shift its dire polling, and get it on an election footing.

Overnight the chancellor has been briefing journalists trying to convey a hopeful message.

He’s saying ‘yes household budgets are tight’, but the government’s plan to get the economy under control is working, and he reiterated the pledge to halve inflation.

But in the Telegraph this weekend, he spoke about public sector productivity being the key to stopping more tax rises.

That message is not likely to go down well with all his Conservative colleagues, many of whom want to see a tax-cutting agenda ahead of the next general election. They think this will please voters.

Let’s remember, this chancellor wants to be known for his fiscal responsibility.

But he will come under increasing pressure in the run-up to the autumn statement.

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Trevor Phillips promo Sunday am

Responding to Mr Hunt’s comments, Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said he was “completely out of touch with the economic realities facing families across Britain”.

She added: “Going from no growth to low growth doesn’t merit a victory lap and shouldn’t be the summit of our ambitions.”

She said that Labour’s plan for the economy is about “investing in Britain” to “unlock growth, cut household bills and make working people in all parts of the country better off”.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

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Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

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google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
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Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

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