Reeves welcomes growth figures as former No 10 adviser says taxes will have to rise in budget – UK politics live

The chancellor hailed ‘the potential of the UK economy’ as one official said taxes will go up in the autumnUK economy defies gloomy warnings to grow 0.7% in first quarter of yearAccording to Downing Street, Keir Starmer is the first prime minister ever to stage an official visit to Albania. But he has not been inspired by the many news stories saying Albania is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for British travellers. Starmer is focused on illegal immigration, and he is visiting the country to strenghten cooperation on tackling people smuggling gangs.In a press release issued ahead of the visit, Downing Street said:The UK will step up efforts to break the crime web fuelling illegal migration across the Western Balkans on a historic visit to the region by the prime minister …There has been a 95% reduction in Albanian small boat arrivals in the last three years, while the number of Albanians returned to the country has also doubled in the past two years, with 5,294 Albanians returned in 2024, more than double the 2,035 Albanian nationals returned two years earlier.What we have done in our joint work with Albania is shown that by working with other countries – this morning we saw law enforcement from Albania alongside law enforcement from the UK – [we have] driven down those numbers.I want to see more of that. We are absolutely determined that we are going to clear up the mess that we have been left and make sure that we get the control we need of our borders. Continue reading...