5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Wednesday (10 December 2025):

Starmer urges Europe to curb human rights laws to halt rise of far right: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently curb joint human rights laws so that member states can take tougher action to protect their borders and see off the rise of the populist right across the continent. Before a crucial European summit on Wednesday, the prime minister urged fellow members to “go further” in modernising the interpretation of the European convention on human rights (ECHR) to prevent asylum seekers using it to avoid deportation. [Guardian]

Reeves’s Budget could knock half a percentage point off inflation: The chancellor’s Budget could reduce inflation by half a percentage point next year, a Bank of England deputy governor has said. Clare Lombardelli told the Commons’ Treasury committee that measures announced by Rachel Reeves in November will slow the rate at which prices are increasing from April 2026. Speaking to MPs, Ms Lombardelli said capping fuel duty, cutting energy prices and freezing rail fares would bear down on price increases. Official forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said the measures in Reeves’ Budget will reduce inflation by 0.4%. [BBC]

Home Secretary considers merging police into 12 regional forces: The number of police forces in England and Wales could be reduced to as few as 12 under “generational” reforms being considered by the home secretary. Shabana Mahmood has delayed the publication of a long-awaited blueprint for police reform until the new year because she wants to make bolder changes than previously planned. The merging of forces is part of wider structural reforms designed to make the police more efficient and cost-effective. [The Times]

Asda in trouble in the lead up to Christmas: Asda’s sales slump has deepened as the grocer faces a battle to win back shoppers in the crucial run-up to Christmas. The supermarket’s sales dropped 4.3pc during the 12 weeks to Nov 30, worsening a 3.9pc decline in the previous three months, industry figures published on Tuesday showed. Asda was the only major supermarket to record a sales fall, while Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl all grew over the period, according to industry tracker Worldpanel. [The Telegraph]