5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Friday (12 December 2025):

NHS bracing for worst ever winter crisis in next fortnight: The NHS is bracing for its worst ever winter crisis in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulance services under intense strain. Hospitals are already treating record numbers of people seriously ill because of flu for the time of year. But things will get worse in the days ahead, NHS leaders said, as medical bosses urged people to get vaccinated against the virus so they can enjoy Christmas gatherings more safely. [Guardian]

Prepare for war with Russia, says Nato chief: The West faces war with Russia on a scale not seen since the days of “our grandparents and great-grandparents”, the head of Nato warned on Thursday. Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, said Vladimir Putin had chosen the alliance as his “next target”, in some of his strongest warnings yet on the prospect of war spreading across Europe. “Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured,” Rutte said in Berlin. “We need to be crystal clear about the threat. We are Russia’s next target, and we are already in harm’s way.” [The Independent]

Reeves’s tax raid is driving up unemployment: Rachel Reeves’s tax raid on jobs is driving up unemployment and will cripple hiring until at least 2027, Britain’s largest business group has warned. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said April’s £25bn increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by bosses on their workers’ wages, combined with a sharp increase in the minimum wage, was jeopardising the Government’s growth push. [The Telegraph]

Inquiry into UK’s Budget watchdog launched: An inquiry into the role of the UK government’s economic forecaster is being launched by a group of MPs, after the body came under intense scrutiny in the run-up to the Budget. The Treasury Committee will examine the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) first 15 years and consider potential reforms, including any improvements or changes to its remit. The inquiry comes after questions over the OBR’s influence were raised ahead of the Budget and after its head, Richard Hughes, resigned following an error which saw its key economic forecast published an hour before Rachel Reeves delivered her speech. [BBC]
On Friday, Oil was trading flat at $61.48. The pound is trading at $1.34, €1.14, and ¥9.46.