Steel tariffs: US trade policy under Trump ‘challenging’, Reynolds admits March 13, 2025 The US tariff policy under President Donald Trump is proving “challenging” for Britain, the business and trade secretary has admitted. Jonathan Reynolds is in discussions with his US counterparts over Trump’s new 25 per cent tariff regime on steel and aluminium imports – but has not secured an exemption for the UK. It comes after [...]
Week in Business: Will Starmer Slash the State? March 13, 2025 Javier Milei, Elon Musk, and now Keir Starmer? The PM says he wants to reform the state - just don't call it austerity.
Keir Starmer to scrap NHS England March 13, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to abolish NHS England and bring the health service under government control. Giving a speech on his plans for civil service reform today, the Prime Minister has confirmed he will scrap the “arms-length body” NHS England. Sir Keir said the decision will see the management of the health service [...]
Will Starmer’s chainsaw be Black & Decker or Fisher Price? March 13, 2025 On Monday I used this column to ask who, if anyone, will have the courage to take a chainsaw to the British state. It’s an inelegant metaphor, but an effective one as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Elon Musk in the US revel in the process of hacking away at state infrastructure. Milei won his election [...]
Keir Starmer to pledge red tape rollback in bid to ‘reshape the state’ March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer is expected to pledge to slash red tape for businesses in a bid to “reshape the state” of the UK amid what he will call a new “era of instability”. The Prime Minister is set to make an announcement on Thursday about his plans to reform the British state, cut regulation, and [...]
Tariffs: Starmer ‘disappointed’ by Trump move and ‘all options on table’ March 12, 2025 The Prime Minister has said he is “disappointed” by US President Donald Trump’s move to bring in 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, including from the UK. Sir Keir Starmer has indicated the UK would keep open the option of retaliatory measures, emphasising that “we will keep all options on the table”. [...]
PMQs: Starmer accused of ‘trash’ talking and ‘job-killing’ by Badenoch March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer was accused of talking “trash” and leading a “job-killing” government by Kemi Badenoch at a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions session. The Conservative Party leader hit out at the Prime Minister amid clashes over the state of the UK’s economy, councils and Labour’s Budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Badenoch responded [...]
Quango crackdown as Starmer reportedly set to slash civil service jobs March 12, 2025 The Prime Minister is reportedly planning to slash thousands of civil service jobs amid a crackdown on quangos, as he aims to radically overhaul the British state. Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a speech on Thursday, in which he will set out plans to cut thousands more Whitehall jobs than expected, according to the Guardian. [...]
Grangemouth: Green projects at oil refinery site could cost £13bn March 12, 2025 Plans for new green projects at the Grangemouth oil refinery site in Scotland could reportedly cost up to £13bn. A feasibility study of possible options for the site – dubbed Project Willow – has listed nine opportunities including recycling plastics and producing biomethane, to create a “flourishing low carbon hub” over the next two decades, [...]
Ukraine accepts US ceasefire deal and ‘ball is in Russia’s court’, says Trump March 12, 2025 President Trump has said that “the ball is in Russia’s court” to agree to a US peace deal after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenksy, accepted a peace deal in Jeddah. The deal, brokered in Saudi Arabia, involves an immediate cessation of hostilities – and would facilitate the return of US support to Ukraine. The US and Ukraine [...]