There's no benefit in playing chicken with Trump on trade
The word is that the chancellor is “expected to be clear that she will take the fight to Washington in defence of free trade”.
With Donald Trump having just seen one female progressive politician off so recently, Reeves is displaying considerable pluck in squaring up to the nascent Maga administration. Perhaps, some such as Kemi Badenoch argue, Reeves should instead take the opportunity to seize the most valuable of Brexit opportunities, and press president-elect Trump for the free trade deal with the United States we’ve been yearning for ever since that fateful referendum eight and a half years ago.
The question is: would Donald Trump ever give us a deal that would be of any benefit to the UK anyway? There are strong reasons to suppose he would not, with the worst-case scenario being that he’d force one on Britain that would actually leave us far worse off.
As with so much that will unfold during Trump 2.0, we’ve got the experience of Trump 1.0 to go on: a chaotic rehearsal for what will be a more organised and determined sequel. Answering the increasingly desperate pleas of Theresa May and Boris Johnson after the EU referendum, the Americans agreed to talks.
By 2019, the outlines of a deal were actually becoming clearer. Indeed, a draft text of such an agreement was leaked, and it ended up being used by the then Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in one of his few successful assaults on the Tories in that year’s general election. “Our NHS is not for sale”, cried Jezza, and for once he had something to back up the fearmongering.
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
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Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
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Student who drugged and raped 10 women gets life
A PhD student suspected of being one of the UK's worst sex offenders has been jailed for life after drugging and raping 10 women in London and China.
South Africa opens inquiry into apartheid-era torture
Black men known as the Cradock Four - were abducted, tortured and killed 40 years ago this month by security forces
'The aid is a death trap'
As the world focuses on Israel's conflict with Iran, hundreds of starving Palestinians are being killed at American-run aid distribution sites in Gaza, write Bel Trew and Richard Hall
'I came here for dream jo The Home Office killed it'
A Brazilian student who worked for a leading art gallery has waited seven months to find out if she can remain in the UK
'As soon as I walked in, it felt warm, homely and safe'
Family fleeing abuse handed keys to reader-backed haven
Labour rebels hit back at threats over benefits vote
Rebel Labour MPs have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer after they were threatened with suspension or blacklisting for voting against his benefit cuts.
Jailed father who set himself alight moved to hospital
Despite schizophrenia and psychosis, Thomas White was serving an abolished IPP term, called 'torture' by the UN
Interest rates hold is a blow to Reeves - but all's not lost
Of all the losers from the Bank of England's decision to hold interest rates - which includes the 591,000 people currently on tracker mortgages, as well as those among the 7.1 million households on fixed rate mortgages who are scouting around for a new deal - the biggest loser of all could be one Rachel Reeves.
Cherki's City debut will leave fans wanting more
At the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, there was an NFL-style edge to Rayan Cherki's first Manchester City appearance.
Commons assisted dying vote: all you need to know
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who came top in the private members' bill ballot last year, and was therefore given a chance of getting her own law onto the statute book, is \"confident\" that her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will complete its Commons stages today.
