Tories issue challenge against Trump’s ‘mistake’ on trade February 2, 2026 The Conservatives have issued a direct challenge to President Trump on the benefits of free trade as shadow Chancellor Mel Stride said tariffs risked undermining transatlantic relations. In a speech at a conference hosted by British-American Business, Stride argued that free trade was “worth defending” as he took aim at President Trump’s protectionist policies. He [...]
Starmer’s Chinese takeaway leaves a nasty taste February 2, 2026 The Prime Minister returns from China a rather diminished figure. His vaunted commitment to human rights and international law rings very false when he kowtows to the regime in Beijing, and even the likely modest economic impact of his visit cannot offset that, says Eliot Wilson We need to talk about Sir Keir Starmer. The [...]
Starmer looks to woo Japanese investors amid Asia trip backlash January 31, 2026 Keir Starmer said he would hold discussions with investors and business owners in Japan after landing in Tokyo, with the Prime Minister hoping to defy critics of his recent trip to China with new deals to boost the UK economy. Speaking on a plane from Shanghai to Tokyo, Starmer said discussions with Prime Minister Sanae [...]
Schroders signs deal with leading Chinese battery maker January 30, 2026 Leading asset management firm Schroders has signed a deal with a Chinese battery making giant, amid chief executive Richard Oldfield’s trip to China, led by prime minister Keir Starmer. The group’s Schroders Greencoat business, which invests in renewable energy infrastructure, signed the deal with Contemporary Amperex Techology (CATL) and Hong Kong based private equity firm [...]
Is Starmer’s China visit a lose-lose trip? January 30, 2026 Starmer was looking for win-win, Golden Era opportunities from his China visit, but the reality has yielded few tangible outcomes.
‘Absolutely bonkers’: Labour minister hits back at Trump’s criticism of China trade January 30, 2026 A Labour minister has hit back at comments from President Donald Trump that trading with China was “very dangerous” for the UK. Sir Chris Bryant, who has served as trade minister since September 2025, said it would be “absolutely bonkers” for the UK not to do business with China. “You have to challenge China on [...]
‘No comment’: City firms on Starmer China trip keep schtum January 29, 2026 When Sir Keir Starmer boarded a British Airways flight to Beijing earlier this week, he brought with him a coterie of leaders from British industry to help fly the flag. More than 50 delegates were invited on the PM’s trip, many from top City institutions such as law firm Clifford Chance and accounting giant PwC. [...]
Starmer: Businesses ‘cry out’ for more trade with China January 29, 2026 Keir Starmer has said businesses are “crying out for ways” to export to Chinese markets as he struck a new deal for British travellers. After meeting President Xi Jinping in China, Starmer defended his government’s ambitions to boost relations with the world’s second largest economy despite questions over security threats posed by state-backed spies and [...]
As Starmer heads to China, Brits rush to buy Chinese EVs January 29, 2026 A couple of years ago, I was invited to the launch of a new Chinese EV brand called Omoda. Myself and a handful of journalists showed up to an inauspicious press event in the basement of a Covent Garden hotel. In the room was parked (I’m still not sure how they got it down there) [...]
Lib Dems: Starmer has gone ‘cap in hand’ to China despite spy threats January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been accused of going “cap in hand” to China, piling further criticism on the government’s trade ambitions with a country that has backed hacking operations against the UK. Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper demanded deputy prime minister David Lammy, who stood in for Starmer at PMQs, to name a “single consequence” [...]