UK inks trade deal with Switzerland – despite shouting match Politics The UK and Switzerland have inked a new free trade deal that ministers say will boost Britain’s services economy by some £5.2bn a year – despite talks breaking down just weeks ago to such an extent that both parties were “shouting at each other”. The agreement is the largest the UK has negotiated since it [...]
Lady Mayor: Openness is the City’s greatest strength Opinion The City’s success has never depended solely on geography or tradition, but on relationships – on honouring contracts, enforcing rules fairly, and providing a predictable, trusted environment in which people from around the world can invest, collaborate and innovate with confidence, says Susan Langley Recent world events demonstrate that established ways of working are under [...]
Bank of England’s Bailey: Central banks must challenge populism Economics Andrew Bailey has called on central banks international institutions to stand up to proponents of populism with their words and actions, warning that organisations like the Bank of England are being painted as “unresponsive and acting for the benefit of powerful” interests. In a speech to a group of economists and officials in London, governor [...]
What a trade deal with India means for the UK May 7, 2025 The UK government is heralding a “new era” for British business: after three years of negotiations, a free trade agreement has been signed with India. This is the third agreement the UK has brokered since Brexit and it is also the biggest of them all, given India is the largest single economy that the UK [...]
Free trade is bread and butter Conservativism. So why is Kemi silent? April 16, 2025 Trump's tariffs were a missed opportunity for the Conservative Party to remind us what it actually stands for, writes Aaron Newbury.
Britain should ignore Trump’s tariffs and unleash unilateral free trade April 8, 2025 A UK conversation focused on a trade deal with the US is depressingly small-minded. The best way to beat tariffs is to lower our own barriers and trade with the world, says Tim Focas The global trade war is now an all-out economic slugfest, with Britain caught in the middle. President Trump has slapped a [...]
Who’s afraid of the Liberal Democrats? March 25, 2025 With Labour sinking in the polls, there’s an increasing likelihood that whoever forms the next government will need the Liberal Democrats’ help to do it. So what kind of impact might the Lib Dems have on national politics? If a visit to their spring conference is anything to go by, very little, says Emma Revell [...]
Free trade is the future for post-Brexit Britain December 13, 2024 As Britain joins CPTPP, we are finally realising the benefits of an independent trade policy made possible by Brexit, says Fred de Frossard This weekend, the United Kingdom’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is finally activated. The UK will be the twelfth member to join, taking the trade area’s [...]
Despite Trump’s tariffs, free trade is still the future November 6, 2024 Trump will claim that tariffs can stop China ripping off Americans and bring jobs back home, but in reality they will only make his country poorer, says Harrison Griffiths Well, he’s done it again. Donald Trump is set to return to the White House after pulling off a now-characteristic upset in last night’s presidential election. [...]