No 10 says Starmer does expect Reeves to stay as chancellor until general election – UK politics live

Rachel Reeves, left, and Keir Starmer at an investment event in Downing Street in November 2024. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AFP/Getty Images

6.16pm GMT

Early evening summary

• Downing Street has said Keir Starmer expects Rachel Reeves to remain as chancellor until the next election. The PM’s spokesperson said this to lobby journalists this afternoon after Starmer refused to say she would definitely stay in post for the whole parliament at a Q&A earlier. It is normal for prime ministers to avoid commitments of this kind, but the Starmer answer led to the Tories claiming that Reeves’ future was at risk. (See 1.11pm.) In truth, although Reeves’ budget is being blamed for helping to suppress growth, there seems to be no immediate likelihood of her being moved – and assurances for the medium or long term are relatively meaningless.

• The Treasury will be “ruthless” over public spending cuts to help meet the government’s fiscal rules at this summer’s spending review, Starmer has said, despite previous promises over austerity.

• Starmer has given a speech stressing what he sees as the enormous potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). (See 12.51pm.) He was promoting the government’s AI opportunities action plan published today. Dan Milmo has a summary of its main points.

Unions and the consumer group Which? have said the government should be doing more to address the potential downsides of AI.

• Sarah Champion, the Labour MP who has been a longtime campaigner on the sexual abuse of women and girls, has called for another national inquiry into grooming gangs, putting more pressure on Keir Starmer.

• Liz Truss, who has positioned herself as a champion of free speech since her short time in Downing Street, has said the country will fail unless British media outlets such as the Guardian, the Times and the BBC are “fixed”.

Updated at 6.19pm GMT

5.59pm GMT

Sacking Reeves now would be 'disastrous' for government, says former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke

Sacking Rachel Reeves now would be ‘disastrous’ for the government, according to Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor.

In an interview with Radio 4’s PM programme, Clarke said that he was disappointed by Reeves’ first budget because she raised taxes so much for business. But he also said being chancellor involved taking unpopular decisions. He told the programme:

Everybody knows what we’re trying to do, which is to make this country an attractive place for business investment again …

I think if Keir Starmer were to sack Rachel Reeves in the present time, it would demonstrate Keir Starmer has even less political nous and skill than I have.

For him to sack his chancellor within six months because she’s actually taken controversial steps with his approval would, I think, be disastrous for the government.