Brexit panic ‘not justified’, says former Trump trade adviser August 9, 2019 The current levels of panic around Brexit are “not justified”, according to a former top trade adviser to the US President Donald Trump. The former general counsel on trade, Stephen Vaughn, believes the UK has “enormous leverage” in any trade deal agreed with the US, he told the BBC. Read more: End of austerity? Chancellor [...]
US threatens ‘no free trade deal’ unless UK scrap digital tax plans August 3, 2019 The US is set to demand that the UK drop a new digital services tax if a free trade deal is to be agreed between the countries The measure, introduced by former chancellor Philip Hammond in 2018, is due to come into effect in April next year. Read more: Global markets recoil and China wants [...]
Populism is back, and the Democratic candidates are veering left August 2, 2019 The Democratic primary is heating up – and some of the policy proposals are as red as fire. This week, 10 hopefuls took to the stage in Detroit, for the second debate leading up to the 2020 presidential election. And what we saw was an extreme ebbing and flowing of liberalism and socialism, raising serious [...]
US and UK working on ‘very substantial’ trade deal, says Trump July 27, 2019 US President Donald Trump has revealed that he has begun talks with Boris Johnson and the UK about a “very substantial” trade deal. Speaking on Friday, Trump said that a deal between the two countries following the UK’s exit from the European Union could lead to a “three to four, five times” increase in current [...]
US economic growth falls short of Trump’s target July 26, 2019 US economic growth last year fell short of the Trump administration’s three per cent target, potentially sparking renewed criticism of the government’s $1.5 trillion tax cuts. Gross domestic product grew at a rate of 2.9 per cent in 2018, the US Department of Commerce announced today. Read more: US economy adds just 75,000 jobs in [...]
Golf clubs, cash and Russia: Trump makes speech in front of doctored seal July 26, 2019 When President Trump came to the stage before an adoring crowd of young Conservatives he was beaming, oblivious to the presidential seal that was sending him up. Trump was speaking at a summit for Turning Point USA – a young conservative political action group – earlier this week. An introductory video had been shown, one [...]
Trump’s tweets do bitcoin and Facebook a favour July 23, 2019 Donald Trump’s recent tweet about bitcoin and that Facebook’s new quasi-crypto the “libra” would get the full force of the US regulators if they “want to become a bank” has put the crypto kitty amongst the pigeons. Why now? Surely Trump doesn’t care about bitcoin? Well, it was timed just before Facebook had to testify [...]
Boris Johnson would do a ‘great job’ as Prime Minister, says Trump July 20, 2019 US President Donald Trump has given his support to Boris Johnson to become Prime Minister once again by insisting he would do “a great job” if elected next week. Trump also said the pair would have “a very good relationship” speaking to reporters in Washington. Read more: ‘Faulty thought process’: Trump lashes out at Fed [...]
Donald Trump says his trade war tariffs are ‘major factor’ in China slowdown July 15, 2019 US President Donald Trump has claimed that his tariffs are damaging China’s economy after its growth slowed to a 27-year low. Read more: China growth slows to 27-year low “The United States Tariffs are having a major effect on companies wanting to leave China for non-tariffed countries,” Trump tweeted. He added: “We are receiving Billions [...]
It’s time we rediscovered the ancient art of diplomacy July 12, 2019 On hearing of the death of the Turkish ambassador, the legendary Napoleonic diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand supposedly responded: “I wonder what he meant by that?” An apocryphal anecdote, perhaps, but this week, when the spotlight has been focused brightly on the shadowy world of the foreign service, it’s a useful story to consider. Sir Kim [...]