Writing the summary…
IMF raises UK growth forecast as economist says Healey should ‘stay the course’

Original reporting
The Guardian: read the full reportFollow this story
Earlier reports and follow-ups on the same developing story.
Related stories

Andy Burnham will take Britain back into European Union, Neil Kinnock claims – UK politics live
Former Labour leader says he believes the prime minister has an ‘authentic commitment’ to taking the UK back into the EU Andy Burnham promises ‘serious dialogue’ over UK’s relationship with EU Good morning. In his long statement to MPs yesterday, Andy Burnham was evasive when asked whether he wanted his planned renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU to result in a Labour-led government, after the next election, rejoining. In response to one question about this , Burnham told a Tory MP he was “getting way ahead of himself” with the question. But one well-placed observer is not being so coy. Neil Kinnock , the former Labour leader and one of three people Burnham has named as his political mentors , has given an interview to la Repubblica, the Italian newspaper. He told it that he believes Burnham does want to, and will, take the UK back into the EU. Yes, sure, sure, sure. His

One thing must now be clear to Andy Burnham. The rightwing press is on a war footing – and he’s the enemy | Jane Martinson
Farage was its champion, now it’s Badenoch – and the aim is the PM’s defeat at all costs While the merits of a so-called Britannia shield to protect Britain from missiles and drones are debatable, the Conservatives’ proposal did achieve one thing last week: the very idea of the shield was used to anoint a political leader. In a significant development, little observed amid the hullaballoo of news events, Kemi Badenoch’s uncosted, pie-in-the-sky plans to build a £10bn anti-missile system were enthusiastically heralded by the rightwing press. It was not just a matter of the plans themselves being lauded, even by outlets that must know them to be ridiculous. More significant is what it said about the champion chosen by these media organisations in their offensive against the Labour government and Andy Burnham. Jane Martinson is an academic and Guardian columnist. She is a board member of th

Chronic UTIs made MP 'feel like a drug user'
Dr Allison Gardner MP has been living with the "searing pain" of recurring infections for a decade.

Why the prime minister wants to talk about Brexit again
For the first time since the UK left the EU, we have a prime minister who will "unflinchingly" debate Brexit, says the BBC's political editor Chris Mason.

English councils warn of ‘catastrophic’ Send debts forecast to hit £10bn by 2028
Surge in EHCP applications poses risk to public finances and may lead to deteriorating levels of support Councils are warning of potentially “catastrophic” debts, which are forecast to reach a record £10bn over the next 18 months, as a result of rapid growth in demand for special educational needs and disability (Send) support in English schools. Although the government recently cleared more than £5bn in historic council Send debts, a surge in requests has led to authorities predicting they will have re-accrued that debt figure by April, and doubled it by 2028. Continue reading...

New White House press secretary a 'devoted fan' of Trump and MAGA
Katie Zacharia worked for one of Trump's companies and raised her profile appearing on conservative-leaning talk shows. She also amplified right-wing conspiracy theories. Now she'll be the president's chief spokesperson.