Reeves pledges to defend UK interests ahead of IMF meetings in Washington Politics 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. [...]
Trump tariffs: No10 resists calls for ‘buy British’ campaign Politics No10 has resisted calls for a “buy British” campaign in light of US tariffs, after the Chancellor slapped down the idea and suggested it could be a barrier to trade. Rachel Reeves warned against the UK becoming “inward looking” as she faced calls in the Commons to encourage the public to buy more British goods [...]
Analysis: Why Reeves faces political pressure over the Spring Statement Politics Over the next 24 hours, Rachel Reeves will be putting the finishing touches to Wednesday’s Spring Statement. It marks her second fiscal event as Chancellor, and – despite the promised manifesto commitment of “one major fiscal event a year” – the economic backdrop, and wider political pressure, makes it hard to see the contents of [...]
Politics ‘not show business’, Badenoch warns at Tory local elections launch March 20, 2025 The Conservatives are facing an “extremely difficult” challenge in May’s local elections, Kemi Badenoch warned as she launched the party’s campaign to win town halls. The Tory leader was also defiant about the threat her party faces from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, urging voters to remember politics is not “show business” and that “you will [...]
Kemi Badenoch: Tories to look at ‘achievable solutions’ for clean energy March 18, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has said net zero is “impossible” for Britain to achieve by 2050 and that her party will look at “achievable solutions”. The Conservative Party leader outlined her plans for the Tories to renew their policy programme at a speech in London, as she set out her stall ahead of the May local elections. [...]
Reform UK pledge to stand candidates at all council elections in May March 17, 2025 Reform UK has promised to stand candidates in all the council elections in May. Chairman Zia Yusuf has pledged the party will stand candidates in all council seats at the local elections on May 1. Speaking at a press conference in central London, Yusuf said: “Last May, Reform failed to stand in 88 per cent [...]
Reform UK overtakes Labour in City AM poll for first time March 3, 2025 Reform UK has overtaken Labour on voting intention for the first time in City AM‘s monthly tracking of UK voters. Reform came top of the monthly voting intention tracker with 27 per cent, versus Labour’s 24 per cent and the Conservatives’ 23 per cent, according to the poll by City AM Freshwater Strategy poll. The [...]
PMQs: UK should impose ‘Tesla tariffs’ on US electric cars, Davey says February 12, 2025 The UK should impose “Tesla tariffs” on US electric cars produced by Elon Musk, after President Donald Trump announced higher taxes on steel imports, the Lib Dem leader has suggested. Sir Ed Davey called for the UK to retaliate – after Trump confirmed he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium [...]
Labour’s waning brand is a boost for the Lib Dems, not the Tories February 5, 2025 Labour has followed the Tories in embroiling itself in a crisis of trust, and it's the Lib Dems who stand to gain, writes James Reed.
Pensions triple lock should not be kept ‘indefinitely’, says minister who introduced it January 18, 2025 The minister who first signed off on the pensions triple lock has suggested he thinks there is not a case for keeping the measure “indefinitely”. Former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Steve Webb, who served as pensions minister in the coalition government, thinks there is still a case for keeping it now, and there is still “a pretty low state pension” [...]