Laura Kuenssberg to grill technology secretary ahead of Spending Review
Update:
Date: 08:55 BST
Title: Resignation, return and a new role: Reform UK's Zia Yusuf's week in a nutshell
Content: Aside from the upcoming Spending Review, Reform UK's internal drama has been making headlines this week.
On Thursday, Zia Yusuf resigned as Reform UK chairman. Yesterday, he announced his return to the party in a new role.
Yusuf will lead what the party calls its "Doge team" – which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, Reform leader Nigel Farage told the BBC he was "delighted" Yusuf had returned to the party.
In a post on X, Yusuf said he had received a large number of messages urging him to reconsider leaving the party and explained why he quit two days ago.
"After 11 months of working as a volunteer to build a political party from scratch, with barely a single day off, my tweet was a decision born of exhaustion," he wrote about his resignation announcement shared on X.
Other parties have criticised Reform over Yusuf's reappointment. Labour described it as "humiliating hokey-cokey" and the Liberal Democrats called it a game of "musical chairman".
This morning, Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice will be appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, stay with us.
Update:
Date: 08:53 BST
Title: Spending Review: Massive cheques, but what do the totals hide?
Content: Laura KuenssbergPresenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
With five days to go before next week's Spending Review, I've been passed some of the information that will be in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' pages.
One crucial chart that will be in the huge bundle of documents heading to the printing presses on Tuesday night shows what's called TDEL – the Total Departmental Expenditure Limit.
In other words, the total that government spends, including the day-to-day costs of running public services and long-term spending on big projects.
The chart spans 2010 to 2030, so takes in the coalition years, where you can see the total sliding down, then the Conservative years when spending starts rising after the Brexit referendum, then leaps up during Covid.
And then, when Labour took charge, the red line going up steeply at first, then more slowly towards the end of this parliamentary term.
The total real-terms spending by 2029-30? More than £650bn – roughly £100bn more than when Labour took office.
The government's political opponents may look at that red line as it climbs steeply upwards and say: "See, public spending is ballooning out of control."
This chart does illustrate very significant rises in public spending. But be careful. What this chart doesn't give us is any idea of how those massive totals break down.
A Treasury document shared with the BBC
Read Laura's full story: Spending Review: Massive cheques from the chancellor for some - but what do totals hide?
Update:
Date: 08:48 BST
Title: What we know about the Spending Review
Content: Dearbail JordanBusiness reporter
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing some difficult choices in the upcoming Spending Review, which sets the budgets for all government departments over the next few years.
The review will confirm how much taxpayers' money will be spent on the NHS and other public services used by millions, as well as how much money the government plans to invest in projects like new public transport schemes.
The Spending Review will be delivered by Reeves on Wednesday, 11 June.
In October she set department budgets for 2025-26, and will now confirm spending allocations for the following three to four years.
Reeves has already set out what is known as the "spending envelope" - how much total government spending will rise by over the period.
On Wednesday this will be broken down by department.
Update:
Date: 08:45 BST
Title: Kuenssberg to grill politicians ahead of upcoming Spending Review
Content: Matt SpiveyLive editor
Welcome to another Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
This morning, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice and shadow home secretary Chris Philp will be put under the spotlight.
They're likely to face questions about the Spending Review, which will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, 11 June.
"Sources suggest she has three aspects in mind: security for the country, the health of the nation - that does what it says on the tin, and "investing", all that cash for long-term projects," Kuenssberg writes.
Actor and activist Arnold Schwarzenegger will also join the programme to talk about what the US government should do about climate change.
We won't be posting regular text updates during the show, but you can follow along live right here from 09:00 BST. Just click Watch live.
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