Keir Starmer believes undoing Brexit will solve Britain’s problems – he’s wrong April 6, 2026 The only way Starmer can get everything he wants from a relationship “reset” with Brussels is by rejoining the EU, says Eliot Wilson This Wednesday is the anniversary of Britain and France signing the Entente cordiale in 1904. It was actually three separate agreements, ostensibly dealing with colonial boundaries and fishing rights, but in practice [...]
Firms scramble to keep up as the UK prepares to align with EU food standards March 25, 2026 Fans of Clarkson’s Farm will know that, for British farmers, dealing with the EU presents an endless stream of headaches and paperwork. But things are changing fast – too fast, many worry – in the UK’s complex web of food production, and farmers and manufacturers are scrambling to meet changes in legislation coming down the [...]
Sadiq Khan urges Labour to back return to EU March 19, 2026 Sadiq Khan has called for Labour to campaign for the UK to rejoin the European Union, days after Rachel Reeves delivered one of the most Europhile speeches since Brexit. The London Mayor said his party should move beyond discussions about access to the single market or joining the customs union by 2030, and instead move [...]
Political comfort blanket masquerading as a growth strategy March 18, 2026 Rachel Reeves has warned that we’ve entered “an age of insecurity” – and she wasn’t referring to Keir Starmer’s precarious grip on power. In declaring that “globalisation as we’ve known it is over” the Chancellor set out her response to this hard-edged new reality, focusing on regional growth, closer ties with the EU and a [...]
Data mining exposes the tension between EU alignment and AI ambition March 18, 2026 When the EU sets rules that shape markets, supply chains and legal risk, the UK faces a choice: align, diverge, or drift. Too often, we drift. Text and data mining provides a neat example of how this drift might undermine our ambitions in AI, says Anand Menon For some people at least, Brexit was about [...]
Removing UK’s tariff exemption could hurt small businesses, trade body warns March 8, 2026 Removing the UK’s tariff exemption for low value imports could risk pushing up prices, reduce trade intensity and damage small businesses, a leading trade body has warned. The British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) warning comes amid the government considering the move after the US removed its ‘de minimis’ exemption for certain commercial shipments. The EU [...]
US warns 15 per cent tariffs to come this week March 4, 2026 US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has warned that the administration’s plans for a higher universal 15 per cent tariff could come into effect this week. Bessent said the new baseline tariff rate would come in “likely some time this week” in an interview on Wednesday. The US implemented its 10 per cent tariff rate last [...]
UK needs deeper integration with EU, says Starmer February 14, 2026 The UK will seek “deeper economic integration” with the European Union and move closer to the single market in more sectors, Sir Keir Starmer has said. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister admitted the current “status quo is not fit for purpose” and the UK needs to work closer with the European [...]
UK payments stuck with ‘bolted on’ European regulation, says PSR boss February 2, 2026 The boss of the UK’s payments regulator has said the body’s consolidation with the City watchdog will allow it to ditch overhanging red tape from Europe. David Geale, who heads up the Payments System Regulator (PSR) and leads on payments at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said: “There are bits of payments regulation that have [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Defence and miners miss Trump ‘TACO’ tariff rally January 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Yesterday Donald descended on Davos. In a wide-ranging address to the economic elite, President Trump scolded Europe, touted his own successes and doubled down on the “need” to acquire Greenland. Beyond his scathing remarks about Nato peers, the central takeaway from Trump’s over-hour long speech [...]