Here’s your UK news roundup for Monday (23 February 2026):
Reform plans to create an ICE-style agency
Reform UK would create an ICE-style agency dedicated to deporting hundreds of thousands of people, as well as terminating the status of those with indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the party will say. It would also ban the conversion of churches into mosques and fund a radical expansion of stop and search, the party’s new home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, will also say in a speech on Monday. The deradicalisation programme Prevent would also have its mandate redrawn to focus on Islamist extremism. [Guardian]
Job vacancies fall to a five-year low
The number of job vacancies in the UK has fallen to a five-year low, approaching levels not seen since the pandemic. The number of vacancies fell by 3% last month to 694,000, continuing a downward trend seen throughout late 2025, according to jobs site Adzuna. The study indicated that it was the first time advertised vacancies had dropped below 700,000 since January 2021. Vacancies were down by 16% compared with January 2025, and by 19% since six months ago. [LBC]
UK set to become biggest loser from Trump’s tariffs
After months of boasting about securing a preferential trade arrangement with the US that granted it a lower reciprocal tariff rate of 10% compared to many other nations, providing a competitive edge, the UK now faces a setback. Following the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Trump’s original global tariffs, he announced plans to reimpose a uniform 15% tariff on all countries. This change eliminates the UK’s previous advantage, resulting in the largest effective tariff increase for British businesses among major economies (followed by Italy and Singapore), while countries like Brazil, China, and India stand to benefit the most from the revised landscape, per estimates from Global Trade Alert. [Bloomberg]
UK to spend billions on making schools more inclusive
The government says it will spend billions to make mainstream schools in England more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). That includes £1.6 billion over three years going directly to schools, early years settings and colleges, and £1.8bn over the same period to provide more access to experts such as specialist teachers and speech and language therapists. The new money is part of a major SEND system overhaul, with government plans for a series of school reforms due to be published in full on Monday. [BBC]
Financial news
On Monday, Oil was trading higher at $69.92. The pound is trading at $1.35, €1.14, and ¥9.35.
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