Can populists survive in public office? Ask Geert Wilders… June 9, 2025 Right-wing firebrand Geert Wilders has withdrawn from government in the Netherlands after discovering that governing is harder than criticising from the fringes. It’s a lesson Nigel Farage may learn too, say Eliot Wilson Last week, greeted by more weary fatalism than surprise, the government of the Netherlands collapsed. On Tuesday, radical nationalist Geert Wilders withdrew [...]
Donald Trump and Elon Musk urged to end feud June 7, 2025 Republicans fearful about potential consequences of a prolonged feud between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are urging the pair to call a truce. At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans’ massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by [...]
In Musk v Trump, the markets will win June 6, 2025 City AM columnist Rainer Zitelmann has been predicting a rift between Musk and Trump ever since the two started working together. Now that this has happened, the French daily newspaper L’Express has spoken to him again. The interview was conducted by Thomas Mahler. “I never believed that the alliance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump would last,” [...]
Trump and Musk: Explosive row engulfs Washington June 5, 2025 The relationship between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has descended into threats, abuse and accusations. A disagreement over the merits of Trump’s tax and spending legislation has turned into a dramatic feud, with Trump saying he was “surprised” at Musk’s criticism of his “big, beautiful” bill. “Elon and I had a great [...]
ECB cuts interest rates as UK ‘hesitation’ risks dealmaking strength June 5, 2025 Interest rates in the eurozone have been cut, taking the deposit facility rate to two per cent as fresh data suggested inflation came in just under the European Central Bank (ECB)’s two per cent target rate in May. The cut means the ECB’s rate now stands at two per cent, a halving of rates set two [...]
When is a trade deal not a trade deal? June 5, 2025 Do you remember where you were on TD Day, 2025? Do you remember what you were doing when you heard the news that a “truly historic” treaty had been signed between the UK and US? Trade Deal Day, 8 May 2025, was – for this government – a very big deal indeed. Keir Starmer will [...]
Trump launches fresh attack on Fed as jobs data disappoints June 4, 2025 US president Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell as the latest data paints a gloomy picture of the health of the world’s largest economy. Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that Powell was “unbelievable,” after May data revealed the worst ADP jobs numbers in [...]
UK trade deals to lift growth, KPMG says June 4, 2025 UK growth could be higher than expected due to trade deals agreed with the US and the European Union, a City consultancy has said. Most forecasters downgraded the UK’s economic outlook for the year in the wake of President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, with the IMF and other major forecasters warning the UK was set to [...]
Trump tariffs: UK to dodge 50 per cent steel and aluminium levies June 4, 2025 President Trump exempted UK industry from a doubling of the rate of steel and aluminium tariffs up to 50 per cent, but businesses will still face a 25 per cent levy until a new trading relationship with the US is finalised. Though industry bosses had been braced to be hit by the 50 per cent [...]
British Steel braces for fresh Trump tariff blow June 3, 2025 The British steel industry is gearing up for the hammer blow of fresh US tariffs after Downing Street could not confirm that steelmakers would be exempt from the levies. The UK government unveiled a trade deal with the US last month, under which metal exports would be exempted from punitive tariffs. But negotiations on the [...]