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 [...]
Employment falls despite manufacturing output hitting new high February 2, 2026 Employment across the manufacturing sector dropped despite output jumping to its highest level in 17 months, new data has shown. Manufacturers continued shedding staff due to high pay and tax pressures, according to S&P Global’s latest purchasing managers index (PMI). The poor reading for the labour market came in direct conflict with more positive results [...]
‘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 [...]
Starmer is wrong to say he doesn’t have to choose between the US and China January 28, 2026 Is Keir Starmer a geopolitical genius? As he jets off to China for the first visit by a UK Prime Minister since 2018, we must at least consider the possibility that he is. Ahead of his departure Starmer said “I’m often invited to simply choose between countries [but] I don’t do that.” The countries in [...]
Trump to raise tariffs on South Korea to 25 per cent January 27, 2026 US President Donald Trump has said he will increase tariffs on South Korea to 25 per cent, after accusing Seoul of “not living up” to the trade deal reached late last year. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said the increase would apply to a range of products including lumber, automobiles, pharmaceuticals and [...]
FTSE 100 Live: HSBC carries blue-chips; Starmer eyes China trade January 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Gold’s magnificent rally was continuing on Tuesday morning after breaking through the $5,100 mark for the first time. The flurry to safe haven assets notched up after Trump threatened Canada with 100 per cent tariffs if the country “made a deal with China”. Last week [...]
Trump threatens 100 per cent tariffs on Canada over China deal January 24, 2026 US president Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbour goes ahead with its trade deal with China. Trump said in a social media post that if Canadian prime minister Mark Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ [...]
FTSE 100 rebounds as Trump rules out taking Greenland by force January 21, 2026 Global markets bounced back into the green on Wednesday after President Donald Trump confirmed the US would not use military action to seize Greenland. In his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said: “All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland”. “We never ask for anything and we never [...]
Nato and Europe must be ‘stronger,’ JP Morgan’s Dimon tells Davos January 21, 2026 The world’s most influential banker has said the world is “simply not safe” and called for a stronger Nato and Europe in a chilling warning to the economic elite at Davos. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, JP Morgan’s top boss Jamie Dimon said the eyes of the world “woke up” after Russia’s invasion of [...]
FTSE 100 and Wall St sink as EU and Trump war of words heats up January 20, 2026 The war of words between the Trump administration and Europe ramped up on Tuesday as world leaders headed for a showdown in Davos whilst global markets sunk into the red. Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the tariffs imposed on European nations due to their staunch defence of Greenland’s sovereignty [...]