Reeves pledges to defend UK interests ahead of IMF meetings in Washington April 22, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to “defend Britain’s interests” as she prepares to meet fellow finance ministers in Washington and push for a US trade deal. Reeves will spend three days in the US capital for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s spring meetings of finance ministers and business leaders from across the G7 and G20. [...]
As FTSE 100 pharma firms wait for a tariffs decision, what would drugs levies mean for consumers? April 22, 2025 For FTSE 100 businesses navigating the shifting sands of Trump’s trade war, the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs has been almost as painful as the stock market shocks. The pharmaceutical industry has been left in a particularly agonising limbo: free, for now, from the 10 per cent baseline import tax, but the US President keeps making [...]
Thousands march in protest at Supreme Court ruling on definition of a woman April 19, 2025 Thousands of trans rights protesters have marched through central London days after a Supreme Court ruled on the definition of a woman. Supporters, trade unions and community organisations came together for what was billed as an “emergency demonstration” which started in Parliament Square before heading towards St James’s Park. Activists demanded “trans liberation” and “trans [...]
Trump says US may ‘take a pass’ from Ukraine talks if they prove too difficult April 19, 2025 Donald Trump has said the US could “take a pass” on Ukraine peace talks if they become too difficult but added he thought there was a “good chance” of succeeding. Sir Keir Starmer discussed Ukraine with the US president in a phone call on Friday, Downing Street said, but did not give further details. Trump’s [...]
Reeves: Cutting ties with China would be ‘foolish’ April 19, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said it would be “foolish” to stop engaging with China. Reeves is due to hold talks with the US next week amid efforts to strike a trade deal, which the UK hopes can help soften the brunt of Donald Trump’s tariffs. There has been speculation that Washington may press the UK [...]
Starmer and Trump discuss ‘ongoing and productive’ trade talks April 18, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump in the first call with the US President since he unveiled 10 per cent tariffs on all goods imported to America from the UK. The two leaders discussed the “ongoing and productive discussions” on trade between the two countries, a Downing Street spokesperson said. “The Prime Minister [...]
Week in Business: Labour’s jobs madness as employers urge change of plan April 17, 2025 Business Secretary Johnny Reynolds was so fed up with people criticising him for never having run a business that he bought himself a whopping great steel mill in Scunthorpe. Now firmly a member of the boss class, will he have sympathy with the business chiefs who this week begged the government to rip up their [...]
UK-US trade deal could be agreed within weeks, as MPs call for vote April 17, 2025 A trade deal between the UK and the US could reportedly be agreed within weeks, as senior MPs have called for Parliament to have a vote on any such agreement. According to a report in the Telegraph, White House officials believe a deal with the UK could be finalised with President Donald Trump’s administration in [...]
A game of chlorinated chicken: What is the price of a US-UK trade deal? April 17, 2025 An economic deal between the UK and the US could be just weeks away. The Trump administration has made sweeping promises of a “90 deals in 90 days” package of bespoke arrangements. While deals with India, Japan and South Korea are expected to be done first, the UK is understood to be not far behind [...]
The government is facing a wave of summer strikes – how will it respond? April 17, 2025 Public sector strike action is always tricky territory for Labour politicians to navigate, particularly when the party is in opposition. When strikes plagued the previous Tory government (teachers and junior doctors in particular) Labour MPs – including Keir Starmer – were quick to condemn the government while trying hard not to criticise the unions, with [...]