If you think this government is pro-business, let me sell you Tower Bridge April 9, 2025 As the government continues to develop its response to Trump’s tariffs and the changing global economic order, the Prime Minister’s muddled thinking is troubling me. We now know that he wants to simultaneously “unleash” British business whilst “sheltering it from the storm,” like a parent who implores his child to “run, but not yet, and [...]
UK firms overpaying billions in corporation tax, research finds April 9, 2025 UK firms overpaid £14.2bn in corporation in the last tax year, according to research by a leading accountancy firm
British Steel: ‘All options on table’ over nationalising Scunthorpe, Starmer says April 8, 2025 The UK is keeping “all options on the table” over the potential nationalisation of the Chinese-owned British Steel plant in Scunthorpe, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister insisted he understood the importance of the plant, which is Britain’s last remaining steelmaker, in a Q&A with the House of Commons Liaison Committee, after its [...]
Trump tariffs: No10 resists calls for ‘buy British’ campaign April 8, 2025 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 [...]
UK markets ‘functioning’ and banking system ‘resilient’, Reeves tells MPs April 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has spoken in the House of Commons on the “current economic situation” in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s sweeping new global trade tariffs. Addressing MPs ahead of Treasury questions, Reeves said the “implications have been reflected in the reaction that we have seen in global markets in recent days, which [...]
Reeves held responsible as marginal growth expected April 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has had to watch the UK economy trudge along since she took up residence at 11 Downing Street. But even more bad news has been forecast to come before another lot this summer, and potentially no better news later this year. This Friday, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is poised to [...]
Reeves to meet US Treasury Secretary ‘shortly’ in trade deal race April 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she plans to meet US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent as President Donald Trump is yet to offer allies any reprieve from his tariff policy. The UK is facing ten per cent tariffs on its goods exports to the US, putting the government under pressure to agree a deal that protects [...]
FTSE 100 stages tentative recovery after sweeping losses April 8, 2025 The UK’s blue-chip FTSE 100 opened 1.5 per cent higher this morning, recovering some of the losses recorded over the past three trading days amid the fallout of US president Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Yesterday, the FTSE 100 slumped more than four per cent as global stock markets digested the effects of a potential global [...]
Trump’s trade war is a test for Starmer – I fear he’ll fail it April 8, 2025 Keir Starmer declared yesterday that we’re now living “in a completely new world.” He’s not wrong; Donald Trump has cut to shreds the established economic order and flung the pieces into the air. At this stage, where those pieces will land is anyone’s guess. So, Starmer is right to sense a moment. But what will [...]
Brits are bracing for the worst as Trump’s tariffs bite April 8, 2025 Trump’s tariffs are having a seismic impact on British politics, the economy and even the national mood, the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll shows, writes Matthew Lesh Last month’s City Am / Freshwater Strategy poll revealed some green shoots for the economy. While far from a glowing overall picture, the trend was towards a more optimistic outlook [...]