Newslinks for Wednesday 2nd April 2025

April 2, 2025

Starmer’s 11th-hour bid to halt trade war

“Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to finalise a package of economic concessions to the US in an attempt to persuade Donald Trump to spare the UK from his trade war. The Government had been scrambling to agree a deal with Washington before Wednesday, which the president has dubbed “Liberation Day” and when he is expected to announce a swathe of global import tariffs. However, the Prime Minister now accepts a deal will not happen and is instead turning his attention to showing the White House that the UK is willing to give ground.” – Daily Telegraph

Trump’s tariffs on UK exports to US spell economic ‘turbulence’ – The Times
PM braced for Trump tariffs – FT
Trump set to announce new round of tariffs on ‘liberation day’ – The Guardian
UK braces for Liberation Day – Daily Express
Starmer offers big US tech firms tax cuts in return for lower Trump tariffs – The Guardian
Trump’s crippling ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs threaten crisis for Reeves – Daily Mail
Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs will hit this country the hardest, expert warns – Daily Express
Which British sectors will be hardest hit by Trump’s tariffs? – The Times
Finland’s president: ‘I just met Trump. Russia is running out of time’ – Daily Telegraph
Aid cuts are ‘blow to UK’s reputation’ – David Miliband – FT

Comment

>Yesterday:

Badenoch backs Trump, declaring free speech in the UK is ‘at risk’

“Kemi Badenoch backed Donald Trump yesterday as she declared that free speech in the UK is “at risk”. The Tory chief warned that cops should not be “persecuting people for expressing themselves” after the US State Department slammed the case of British woman Livia Tossici-Bolt, who allegedly breached a buffer zone around an abortion clinic. On Tuesday Ms Badenoch said: “We have freedom of expression in this country, we have free speech in this country. “However it is at risk because a lot of people are expanding the law way beyond the original intention.” – The Sun

Tory leader says Starmer should focus on Islamic extremism, not Adolescence – Daily Express

Comment

>Today:

>Yesterday:

Rayner blames Tories for Birmingham bin crisis

“Angela Rayner has blamed the previous Conservative government for Birmingham council’s bin crisis. The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the Tories were responsible for a council bankruptcy several years ago, amid a blame game over piles of rubbish rotting in the streets. The Labour-run local authority declared a major incident this week after a strike by bin workers over pay. But when asked by BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine about the crisis, Ms Rayner insisted it was the fault of the previous government, which was in power when the council’s finance chief issued a so-called section 114 notice indicating it would run out of money.” – Daily Telegraph

Birmingham’s bin bag mountain nightmare – Daily Mail

Comment

Ministers could win power to block sentencing advice for judges

“Ministers would be given the power to block and amend sentencing guidelines for judges under plans being considered to weaken the Sentencing Council following the row over “two-tier” justice. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, is reviewing the council’s remit after rejecting new sentencing guidelines that advised judges to consider the ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds of offenders when deciding whether to impose custodial or community sentences.” – The Times

Reeves was officially warned private school tax raid would harm poorer families

“Rachel Reeves forged ahead with a tax raid on private schools despite being warned by her own civil servants that it would harm poorer families, the High Court has heard. Lord Pannick KC, representing private schools, said on the first day of a major legal battle against the Government’s VAT raid that “it makes no sense” for ministers to claim the policy mostly affects wealthy families. He cited evidence submitted to the High Court showing a Treasury briefing just days after the general election that a quarter of families set to be hit by the tax were below the average wealth level.” – Daily Telegraph

Comment

>Yesterday:

Almost 400,000 more judged unfit to work after Labour axes Tory reforms

“Nearly 400,000 more people will be judged unfit to work after Liz Kendall scrapped Tory reforms in her overhaul of Britain’s welfare system. The decision by the Work and Pensions Secretary to undo tighter criteria for people applying for sickness benefits means many more will qualify for it by the end of the decade. Figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility project 3m people will receive the health element of Universal Credit by the end of the decade.” – Daily Telegraph

Labour welfare reforms mean 400,000 more will be unfit for any work – The Times
FM criticises UK minister for saying she backs cuts – BBC News

>Today:

>Yesterday:

Planning reforms to ‘rewire the system’ and get Britain building – all while protecting wildlife

“Major developers will only deal with one regulator under planning reforms which ministers say will “rewire the system” to get Britain building – all while protecting the environment. A review by former Labour adviser Dan Corry into Britain’s sluggish system of green regulation has concluded that existing environmental regulators should remain in place, while rejecting a “bonfire of regulations”. But Mr Corry suggested there might be circumstances in which the government look at changing the wildlife and habitat rules inherited from the EU, which protect individual species. These lie at the centre of the controversy of a £120m bat tunnel – the shed in Aylesbury which protects a rare breed from future high speed trains.” – Sky News

Labour will ‘refocus’ green quangos to ‘clear way’ for progress – FT

Other political news and comment

Israeli defence minister announces expansion of military operations in Gaza – The Guardian
Stop blocking Gaza aid, minister tells Israel – The i
The SNP must ditch its policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament – Ian Blackford, The Times