London | British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been forced to defend his embattled chancellor, as a sell-off of UK government bonds drove yields to highs not seen since the turn of the century.

Sir Keir said Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a trained economist, had his “full confidence”. But he stopped short of guaranteeing she would keep her job – akin to Australia’s treasurer – for the full four or five years of this parliamentary term.