Politics Weekly UK

The Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the political correspondent Kiran Stacey help you kick off your week with the stories you need to know from inside Westminster

In the run-up to the local elections this week, the Guardian columnist John Harris is in Thurrock where the council has amassed more than £1.5bn in debt since 2022. He speaks to people facing swingeing cuts and asks whether the vote on Thursday will make any difference to their lives

Rishi Sunak has said it is his ‘moral mission’ to end Britain’s sicknote culture. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to the disability campaigner Hannah Deakin and the New Economics Foundation’s head of social policy, Tom Pollard, about why the current system is failing people. Plus, the political correspondent Kiran Stacey runs us through the latest from Westminster

How much should Britain get involved in the conflict in the Middle East? The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the columnist Gaby Hinsliff and former national security adviser Peter Ricketts to talk about the fallout from Iran’s attack on Israel at the weekend. Plus, John talks to Gaby about smoking bans, NatCon and Liz Truss’s new book

David Cameron made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Largo this week to visit Donald Trump. John Harris is joined by the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, to get the latest on the meeting. And as international pressure continues to build on Israel, John speaks to a former Israeli peace negotiator, Daniel Levy, on whether there is a pathway to end the war

Thousands of jobs are due to be cut this year at Tata Steel in Port Talbot, putting the future of British steel under serious threat. Kiran Stacey hears from workers at the plant, local residents and shadow Wales secretary Jo Stevens

Despite pressure from some Conservative MPs, the government stopped short of defining China as an official threat this week. How deep does Chinese interference in the UK go? John Harris speaks to the Guardian’s foreign leader writer Tania Branigan and deputy political editor, Peter Walker. As MPs break for Easter, they also discuss the state of the Conservative and Labour parties

Jeremy Hunt has implied we will have an October election, but even with a boost from falling inflation figures, can Rishi Sunak really hold on for the next seven months?

The Conservatives face yet another crisis week as a major donor is accused of racism and Lee Anderson announces his defection to Reform UK. John Harris asks columnist Gaby Hinsliff and political correspondent Kiran Stacey why Rishi Sunak can’t seem to get his house in order

The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the former Conservative chief secretary to the Treasury David Gauke and the economist and Labour candidate Miatta Fahnbulleh to go through today’s budget announcements