Summary

  • Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch were quizzed on this week's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

  • Reeves says the government needs to "get a grip" on economic problems in the UK - she says the focus so far has been returning to "stability" but now she will concentrate on going further and faster on growth

  • Reeves is also asked whether she'll approve a third runway at Heathrow. She declines to confirm but says the government will set out its plans "in due course"

  • Badenoch says that the country has been ignoring "hard truths" for too long and that she is taking a different approach as a new party leader

  • She also says that more needs to be done on social integration after the Southport killings. She is pressed on what evidence exists showing the crimes were linked to integration, citing her own personal experience

  • Kuenssberg also spoke to Paul McCartney about AI and the music industry

  1. Chancellor asks tech companies to act now on violent contentpublished at 09:31 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    The discussion moves onto Southport. The chancellor is asked about Yvette Cooper's letter to social media companies, asking them to remove harmful content viewed by the killer.

    The chancellor is asked what the government will do if sites like X and YouTube refuse to comply.

    Reeves pays tribute to the families and victims of the event, and says an inquiry will soon look to address why the murderer was not stopped.

    As for online content, she says that social media platforms have a "moral responsibility" to act on this content, and cites Australia as an example of similar rules.

    The chancellor also notes that the upcoming online safety bill will have provisions for this, but urges "let's not wait" and asks companies to act now.

    And with that, the questions are finished, and Reeves can take a breath. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will follow soon.

  2. Is Reeves taking pointers from Trump on growth?published at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Rachel Reeves in maroon shirt sitting down during interview

    Kuenssberg asks if Reeves will take lessons from US President Donald Trump who has made significant decisions since taking office?

    Reeves says we've got "unique strengths", we've got "huge opportunities", and "I'm determined to go further and faster on delivering those for Britain".

  3. Reeves grilled over Grangemouth refinery closurepublished at 09:28 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Kuenssberg asks Reeves why she wants to let the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland close, as it’s one of the places that could produce sustainable aviation fuel.

    Reeves says she has provided funding to the local authority and is working closely with the Scottish government on a growth plan to support people.

    Kuenssberg then asks if Reeves wants to grow the economy, isn’t investing in places like Grangemouth exactly what she needs to do?

    Reeves responds that the government needs to partner with businesses to create good jobs with good wages, to support the UK's energy-intensive businesses and sustain them.

  4. The runway sounds like it's on its way, Kuenssberg suggestspublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Rounding off the discussion, Kuenssberg observes: "There will be a thrid runway then? You've more or less just said that."

    Reeves isn't quite ready to agree. The chancellor says the government will announce their plans "in due course", but adds that they have already approved expansion at Stansted and City airports.

  5. Reeves pressed on noise concerns from third runwaypublished at 09:25 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Reeves is asked about comments from London Mayor Sadiq Khan saying a third runway at Heathrow will have a damaging impact on air quality and noise. Does the chancellor agree with the statement?

    A lot has changed, Reeves says, and there's been lots of investment in electric planes.

    She says a third runway means planes won't have to circle London and can land instead.

    Sustainable aviation and economic growth go "hand in hand", she says, and we need to bring investment in but clean energy is "good for economic growth".

  6. Is a third runway coming to Heathrow?published at 09:23 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Rachel Reeves (L) listens while sitting in a red chair as Laura Kuenssberg (R) asks her a question while sitting in a matching chair

    Reeves is asked if she plans to approve a third runway at Heathrow.

    She says she won’t comment on speculation. But Kuenssberg points out it’s not speculation and presses her further.

    “Would you correct me if we said here on BBC News, Rachel Reeves is likely to announce Heathrow expanding this week?” Kuenssberg asks.

    Reeves responds by saying the government has approved expansion at London City Airport and Stansted Airport - decisions that were stalled by the previous government.

    Kunessberg responds that it her reply sounds like the third runway will be approved, but Reeves does not confirm.

  7. Chancellor says Labour wants to get moving after 14 years in oppositionpublished at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    On planning, Kuenssberg asks Reeves if she was too slow to introduce reforms.

    Reeves says that Labour wants to crack on after being in opposition for 14 years.

    She then cites some local planning decisions which she says had been sitting on the desks of Conservative MPs, and have now quickly been signed off.

  8. Reeves says government 'cracking on' with reformpublished at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Reeves continues by saying the government is now "cracking on" with planning reform, artificial intelligence (AI), pensions and capital markets reform.

    There's been many public projects sitting on the shelves for years, Kuenssberg says, pointing to a list on a screen which includes rail projects and the re-opening of Blackpool Airport for commercial traffic.

    Why has it taken seven months for you to realise to "put your foot down" Kuenssberg asks.

    Reeves says if the "challenge is to go further and faster" then that's what they are doing.

  9. Reeves defends inheritance tax changespublished at 09:18 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Reeves was then questioned about the inheritance tax proposal for farms.

    Kuenssberg points out that her changes will only bring in a "tiny" £500m by altering inheritance tax, with farmers warning they could lose their farms.

    Reeves insists those tax changes would be the right ones. She adds that agricultural property relief will remain generous.

  10. Postpublished at 09:17 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Kuenssberg asks Reeves about tax rules for people with non-domiciled status.

    Labour recently announced that they would be removing this protection, and Reeves explains how this has changed slightly to allow people to bring money into the economy without paying a punitive tax.

    And, the chancellor adds that she thinks people who make Britain their home should pay taxes here.

    Reeves says that a white paper later this year will consider how to attract high-skilled people in a way that the previous government didn't permit.

  11. Government needs to 'return to stability' on economy - Reevespublished at 09:15 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Kuenssberg puts it to Reeves that debt is at its highest level in four years - an issue the chancellor says she inherited from from the Tories.

    "Economic growth matters," she says, which is why she is so focussed on it.

    Kunessberg presses her: Are you changing your tone on how you speak about the economy? Did you make a mistake in underestimating the number of wealthy people who create jobs and wealth in the UK?

    The chancellor replies by saying that to grow the economy, the government needs to "return to stability".

    We did that with the budget and now we need to focus on reform, she says.

  12. Chancellor pressed on whether last six months a successpublished at 09:12 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Kuenssberg begins by asking Reeves how, despite her repeated focus on growth, economic growth sits at just 0.1%.

    The chancellor responds that she remains optimistic.

    Kuenssberg then asks if the last six months have been a success, given that businesses are criticising the impact of her decisions.

    Reeves starts by pointing out that the government she inherited was not in a good state, but Kuenssberg presses her, saying it’s about her own choices.

    The chancellor says she is focused on putting the country’s finances back on a strong footing. But she says the government needs to "get a grip" on economic problems facing the UK.

    "Yes we have to get a grip of the problems of public finances, but growth is also essential - an economy that is growing is an economy that can service those debts", she says.

    Rachel Reeves
  13. The panel weighs in on issues facing the UK - and now we hear from Reevespublished at 09:07 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    We begin with a rundown of the weekend's newspapers, and a chat with this week's guest panel - which includes former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi - before Kuenssberg turns to her first guest: Rachel Reeves.

  14. Let's get goingpublished at 09:00 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    The studio’s set, the guests are in place, and Laura Kuenssberg is moments away from kicking off her show.

    We’ll be bringing you live updates and analysis throughout the programme.

    Fancy watching along? Just hit Watch live at the top of the page.

    Reeeves, Kuenssberg and Badenoch on set.
  15. Badenoch seeks law change to allow whole life orders for under 18spublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Kemi Badenoch at ledger delivers speech in blue dress, her head turning slightly to the rightImage source, PA Media

    Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is calling for the law to be changed so whole life orders can be imposed on people aged under 18 in some cases.

    Her calls come after Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to 52 years for the murder of three young girls in in Southport last July.

    Rudakubana was 17 when he attacked the three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class and attempted to murder eight other children and two adults. He pleaded guilty to all the charges.

    After the sentencing, Badenoch said he "should never be released from prison" after destroying "countless lives" and sowing a "legacy of mistrust" across the country.

    The Conservatives "will start to explore" how to change the law, she said. Badenoch also called the attack a "terrorist" incident" and urged others to stop "avoiding these hard truths".

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ruled the case didn't meet the legal definition of terrorism as there was a lack of evidence Rudakubana sought to advance any political, religious, or ideological agenda.

  16. How the government is responding to the attackpublished at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Keir Starmer at a podium in Downing StreetImage source, PA Media

    The Southport attack must resemble a “line in the sand” for the UK and lead to a change in how children are protected, the prime minister said shortly after Axel Rudakabana’s guilty plea.

    The government says this change will be achieved through a public inquiry, that home secretary Yvette Cooper hopes will deliver answers on how multiple agencies “failed to identify the terrible risk and danger” that the teenage killer posed to his community.

    The government’s Prevent scheme - which Rudakabana had been referred to three times in the 17 months before the attack - has also come under criticism.

    The prime minister has appointed Sir David Anderson KC as its independent commissioner to investigate whether the initiative is fit for purpose.

    Calls from the government for a crack down by social media companies on extremist content have also emerged in the wake of the attack.

    The home secretary says Big Tech firms have a "moral responsibility" to remove violent material such as that viewed by the Southport killer.

  17. Home secretary calls for violent materials to be removed from social media sitespublished at 08:45 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Britain's Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper listen as Prime Minister Keir Starmer (unseen) speaks during a press conference.Image source, Reuters

    We're expecting lots of discussion on the show this week about how the Southport knife attack that killed three young girls could have been prevented.

    In response to the attack, the home secretary says that tech companies have a "moral responsibility" to remove violent material from their sites to ensure such content does not encourage crimes.

    In a letter to Meta, X, TikTok, Google and YouTube, Yvette Cooper says it's "unacceptable" for the companies to allow easy online access to violent material such as an al-Qaeda training manual.

    Axel Rudakubana was jailed earlier this week for 52 years after pleading guilty to murdering Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, at a dance class last July. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults.

    Shortly before he carried out the stabbings, Rudakubana watched graphic footage of a knife attack on Australian bishop Mari Emmanuel that had taken place a few months earlier.

    The video had been removed in Australia but was available in the UK, which "laid bare the potential consequences of failing to act on such content," Cooper said.

  18. What Reeves says about growth - and what we might expect to hearpublished at 08:30 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Rachel ReevesImage source, Getty Images

    Since Rachel Reeves announced her first budget last October, the chancellor has been looking for ways to get the UK economy growing.

    In preparation for a big speech on the topic next week, Reeves told the Observer a little earlier that she will focus on cutting regulations and ensure a "presumption in favour of building" to encourage more construction around commuter stations.

    The chancellor might have to win over other members of her party first. Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband has said he will not resign if Reeves backs a third runway at Heathrow airport - as has been reported - but he’s been a long-time opponent of the proposal.

    Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph this morning, the chancellor tells the newspaper that she won’t tolerate anyone standing in the way of her plans to grow the economy.

    "When there are decisions around infrastructure investment, the answer can't always be 'no', and with this government the answer is 'yes'," Reeves told the BBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

    As a result, you can expect the chancellor to be quizzed on how she plans to cut red tape on planning applications and boost growth - without upsetting environmentally aware MPs - when she sits down in the Kuenssberg hot seat.

  19. Why Reeves is in a sudden rush on the economypublished at 08:18 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    Rachel Reeves is suddenly in a rush.

    She'd hate the comparison, but the way she's been talking over recent weeks sounds more like a Conservative chancellor.

    She wants to get rid of barriers to business and make it harder for green groups to put the brakes on big development. She's easing off plans to make life more expensive for wealthy non-doms – and is expected to approve new airport runways and cut welfare.

    Treasury insiders say in private that almost as soon as she sat down after the Budget, she was banging the table with officials and pushing for more ideas to get the economy growing. After all, she and Sir Keir Starmer always said growth was their priority.

    The plan for her big speech next Wednesday – in which she is expected to unveil more changes to cut back planning rules and announce a new runway at London's Heathrow – was hatched back then, and she's only come under more pressure since to respond to the howls of business.

    Today in our studio, and in her big speech on Wednesday, Reeves will try to give you the impression that she is brimming with optimism and in a hurry to get the economy going, so that jobs can be created, the government's tax coffers filled and, ultimately, voters might regain a long-lost feel-good factor.

    Yet however upbeat she is a former Labour minister wonders: "How long will it take for changes to drip through the doorsteps of my constituency where people are living in crowded rented flats, and can't afford the supermarkets?"

    British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 10 Downing Street after a cabinet meetingImage source, EPA
  20. From the Southport attack to economic growth, here's what we might hear todaypublished at 08:09 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January

    Good morning.

    This morning, we're getting ready to hear from two key guests on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

    Both are expected to be grilled on boosting the economy and the government's response to the deadly Southport attack last July.

    The chancellor has been facing some tough questions lately, with UK government borrowing climbing higher than expected. Still, Reeves insists she’s “optimistic” about the economy. Is that optimism justified, or is it a touch overblown?

    Meanwhile, Badenoch is likely to double down on her criticism of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which she slammed during last Wednesday’s PMQs. But she might find herself in the hot seat too, after sparking backlash by suggesting her party explore more means-testing for government support – a move critics say could undermine the “triple lock” on pensions.

    Stick with us for all the latest updates and sharp analysis from our team.