Is the Labour leadership contest about to get messy and plunge the party into chaos?

Sam and Anne start the day expecting Wes Streeting to resign as health secretary to spark a contest, but a new intervention may have changed everyone's calculations.

Angela Rayner has said that an HMRC investigation into her tax affairs is over, paving a way for a challenge. But will she join the contest and can Andy Burnham find a way to enter the fray?

The duo analyse the developing situation and ask whether it will be straightforward or complex showdown with the PM.  

GDP, a key economic measure of everything produced in the economy, expanded 0.3% in March, according to the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Economists polled by Reuters news agency had predicted a contraction of 0.2%.

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It came as production and construction held up well in the face of higher energy costs, as the Iran war led to oil and gas supply disruption. There had been fears that economic activity would be dampened by higher prices for people filling their cars or heating their homes with oil.

The March figures are also an increase on the month before, when GDP rose 0.4%.

There was also growth in the first three months of the year, with expansion of 0.6%, ONS data also showed on Thursday morning.

It means the UK currently has the greatest GDP growth of all the G7 group of industrialised nations, though Japan has yet to release data.

Why?

This was attributed to "broad-based" expansion in the services sector, the largest part of the UK economy, the ONS said.

Performing particularly well were computer programming and advertising, the ONS's director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown said.

The numbers are even better on a per-person basis, which removes the effect of population growth via immigration that can increase the headline GDP figure.

So-called GDP per capita is up 0.9% compared with the same time a year ago.

Getting political

Following the news, Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared to caution against political instability and a possible leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"Now is not the time to put our economic stability at risk. To do so would leave families and business worse off," she said.

"Today's figures show the government has the right economic plan."

The government had repeatedly said growing the economy was its top priority.

A note of caution

The strength of the figures, however, could have been impacted by companies' reaction to the Iran war-related supply disruption.

"GDP strength is exaggerated by front-running of potential supply disruptions and noise in some sectors," said economic research firm Pantheon Macroeconomics's chief UK economist, Rob Wood.

"So we need to be cautious about judging the genuine trend."

Economists still believe the war will slow growth.

"The war in Iran is set to slow growth, lower typical household incomes by £550 this year and increase government borrowing by £16bn by the end of the decade. All of which presents a challenging backdrop to any government reset," said Simon Pittaway, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation thinktank.

Dominique Charles-Turner, 31, of Leyton, east London, who was arrested on 12 May, has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life at the former synagogue in Tower Hamlets.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 14 May.

Police were called to a fire at a former synagogue in Nelson Street on 5 May. CCTV enquiries indicated that the fire was started intentionally at around 5.10am.

The former synagogue is in the process of being sold to a local Somali Muslim organisation.

Given the nature and location of the incident, the investigation has been led by Counter Terrorism Policing London.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said that its investigation team "are working at pace to arrest all those suspected of being involved in the arson attack".

"I want to remind the public that, with the threat level now raised to severe, everyone can play their part to keep themselves and their communities safe," she added.

"If you have concerns about someone behaving suspiciously, please report it to us."

Two other people, Moses Edwards, 45, of Wanstead, and a 52-year-old woman, were arrested on May 10.

Edwards was subsequently charged with arson with intent to endanger life. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 12 and was remanded in custody.

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He is next due to appear at the Old Bailey on 5 June. The 52-year-old woman has been released on bail until August.

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It follows a spate of violent incidents targeting Jewish communities, which has seen the terror threat level raised to "severe" for the first time in five years.

Writing in The New Statesman, Prince Harry referenced recent attacks against Jews in Manchester and London and called for people protesting about events in the Middle East to be more "clear" about where their anger is directed.

The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, last month has brought renewed scrutiny – including from the government – of pro-Palestine marches.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the conduct of some people at the demonstrations constitutes "extreme racism".

He said police should prosecute anyone who chants "globalise the intifada".

"Intifada" means "uprising" in Arabic and refers to two Palestinian uprisings against Israel – first in the late 1980s and then the early 2000s. Thousands of people were killed, according to several estimates.

Prince Harry said while there is "deep and justified alarm" about the scale of death in Gaza and Lebanon, which have both faced bombardment from the Israeli military, "we have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home".

The duke, who does not mention Israel by name, added: "Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith."

However, he also stressed the importance of "legitimate" criticism "when states act without accountability and in ways that raise serious questions under international humanitarian law".

Harry's choice of outfit got him into trouble in 2005 when he was seen wearing a mock Nazi Afrika Korps uniform at a "colonials and natives" fancy dress party.

He quickly apologised after being castigated by, among others, the leader of the then Conservative opposition Michael Howard and the Israeli foreign minister.

Scottish Women's Aid has published a study on the scourge of coerced debt – where an abusive current or ex-partner builds up debt in their victim's name, either without consent or knowledge or through force, threat or coercion.

This research – believed to be the first focused insight into the problem in Scotland – revealed a "small but significant" number of women have been "pushed towards illegal money lenders, often due to extreme financial pressure".

Dr Jenn Glinski, author of the report and the national policy lead for economic abuse at Scottish Women's Aid, said: "Coerced debt is trapping women and children in abuse across Scotland.

"This report makes clear that it is not a side issue but a central part of how perpetrators exert control."

Abuse is 'widespread'

The report – commissioned by the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit and Trading Standards Scotland – described coerced debt as being a "hidden but widespread form of economic abuse".

It said such behaviour was a "common and deliberate tactic" used by perpetrators to trap women financially, restrict their choices and undermine their ability to leave or rebuild their lives.

The report added the women were having to "adopt financial survival strategies" to manage the debt, such as relying on family for financial assistance; going without essentials; selling possessions; taking on further debt; returning to their abusive partner; or engaging in unsafe or exploitative work.

It said "what survivors need is not short-term fixes but systemic change", as well as "understanding of economic abuse, recognition of coerced debt" and "survivor-centred debt relief".

Scottish Women's Aid is calling for a national campaign to raise understanding of economic abuse, financial abuse, and coerced debt.

In addition, the charity said economic abuse must be formally recognised as domestic abuse by justice authorities.

It also wants to see a Scottish coerced debt relief scheme introduced to help victims, which could "pause, reduce, or write off debts" owed to devolved public bodies, such as council tax and rent arrears, where they have arisen from domestic abuse.

Survivors 'held responsible' for debts

Dr Glinski added: "What is most concerning is that our systems are too often complicit and compound financial harm instead of providing support and solutions.

"They hold survivors responsible for debts created through abuse while failing to hold perpetrators to account.

"Economic justice for survivors means believing women, preventing further harm and ensuring they are not left to carry the financial burden of abuse. The costs of inaction are simply too high."

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Maureen Chalmers, chair of Trading Standards Scotland, said the report highlights that "illegal money lenders take advantage of people at their most vulnerable".

She added: "It is vital that we act against illegal lenders who target women facing coerced debt and economic abuse."

The Scottish government said it was "committed" to tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms and has invested £21.6m this year through its Delivering Equally Safe fund.

A spokesperson added: "In December 2025, we announced funding for the launch of a new national helpline, the Purple Phone, run by Financially Included to help women experiencing economic or financial abuse by their partner, and the Scottish government has committed to support this work until March 2028.

"This is alongside support for women and their children to leave an abusive partner through the Fund to Leave initiative. £2m has been allocated to it in 2026-27, which could help up to 2,400 women in Scotland."

If you are in need of support, call the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit on 0800 074 0878. You can also call the Purple Phone helpline on 0343 841 0132.