China could gatecrash Starmer’s diplomatic party May 15, 2025 Keir Starmer has repeatedly said that the UK doesn’t need to choose between strengthening economic and trade ties with the US and deepening them with the EU. A few weeks ago, concern was growing in Whitehall that if the UK didn’t strike a deal with America then the chance of a tariff rapprochement could be [...]
What do Labour-Reform switchers want? It’s not what you think May 15, 2025 Voters who have left Labour for Reform are more pro-European than the general public with nearly three quarters wanting a much closer relationship with the EU, finds Praful Nargund Tough rhetoric and tighter rules from the Prime Minister are all designed to neutralise one of the most volatile issues in British politics: immigration. But behind [...]
Trade wars: how will tariffs really affect the global economy? May 15, 2025 Separate the signal from the noise on tariffs and the damage done, thus far, is not significant. However that doesn’t mean all is well, says George Lagarias In all the trade war noise, it is easy to miss just how much global trade conditions have deteriorated in the last few months. If, one year ago, [...]
British execs still fly to US despite Trump turmoil, data suggests May 14, 2025 Business travel across the pond has increased this year despite concern over policy developments under President Trump, data suggests. Data from the travel tech firm Navan, shared with Morning Wire, shows year-to-date bookings for UK-US corporate trips have risen by nearly a quarter year-on-year. There were 8,000 corporate trips from the UK to the US [...]
US-UK tech deal falls short: trillion-dollar talk, but little digital alignment May 13, 2025 The new US-UK tech pact may offer political optics of partnership, but falls far short of real digital alignment, exposing widening policy divergence and limited strategic substance, says Paul Armstrong The recently announced US-UK trade agreement was billed as a major reset in transatlantic cooperation, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer positioning the UK as America’s [...]
Apple looking at raising iPhone prices May 12, 2025 Apple is considering raising prices for its next iPhone lineup, with increases likely tied top new features and design changes, rather than ongoing US-China trade tensions. The current lineup ranges from $799 to $1,199. Yet analysts believe the newest model, Pro Max, could hit $1,900 if its pricing reflects upgrades and tariff costs. The Wall [...]
Free Thinking: Can Trump’s trade deal turn the UK economy around? May 12, 2025 In this week’s edition of Free Thinking, Morning Wire Opinion and Features Editor Alys Denby ask if Donald Trump’s free trade deal is the answer to Britain’s economic woes or a political gesture that leaves us worse off?
China and US announce 90-day pause on tariffs May 12, 2025 China and the US have watered down tit-for-tat tariffs in a landmark 90-day pause that represents a de-escalation of their ongoing trade war. Both countries had imposed tariffs of over 100 per cent on one another in the fallout to President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ at the beginning of April, causing the UN to suggest that [...]
UK trading partners: China returns to top 10 as EU trade slumps May 12, 2025 China has returned to become a top 10 UK trading partner for the first time since 2022 after a slump in trade activity with the European Union. China is now the eighth largest trading partner for the UK, after countries like Ireland and Italy have declined significantly in popularity, data from Santander’s latest Trade Barometer [...]
Government wants to ‘go further’ with US trading relationship May 11, 2025 The government wants “to go further in terms of the trading relationship with the US”, the Home Secretary has said, as an American economist warned the deal struck with Donald Trump this week “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on”. Joseph Stiglitz told Sky News that had the UK worked with the EU on a [...]