5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today – 20 June 2025.

Foreign ministers from the UK, Europe and Iran set for talks: Foreign ministers from the UK, France and Germany are to meet their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Friday, aiming to create a pathway back to diplomacy over its nuclear programme. The meeting comes a day after US President Donald Trump set a two-week deadline to decide whether the US will join Israel’s war on Iran to allow for negotiations to continue. [Guardian]

Labour whip resigns: Vicky Foxcroft has resigned as a Labour whip in protest against plans to cut disability benefits, increasing the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s government as it faces the threat of a wider rebellion over the policy. In a resignation letter to the prime minister, Foxcroft said that in a previous role as shadow minister for disabled people in 2020 she had seen that life for disabled people was ‘even tougher than I had imagined’. [Financial Times]

UK supermarkets in trouble: UK retail sales fell sharply last month after dismal sales at supermarkets, official figures show. Sales volumes were estimated to have fallen by 2.7% in May, the biggest monthly fall since December 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).It said there were signs that alcohol and tobacco sales were lower after customers chose to make cutbacks. [BBC]

Questions over whether the UK can defend itself: In 2010, the UK had a relatively small military of about 100,000 personnel. In the 15 years since, that number has fallen by tens of thousands. The Labour government is now struggling to make up for decades of underinvestment. [Bloomberg]