Times letters: Trump's ‘land for peace' deal for Ukraine
Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk
Sir, Europe is facing the biggest and most dangerous security threat since the Second World War. Quite rightly, the US is being roundly criticised for equating defence with trade deals. However, it is now the case that the EU is doing the same by insisting on better fishing rights from the UK before British defence companies are allowed to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund ('EU arms deal 'will come at expense of UK fishing'', Apr 22). It is sad that Britain is not in a position to tell both of these mercenary outfits where to go.Paul LewisEdinburgh
Sir, Your editorial ('Art of the Steal', Apr 25) highlights the lack of western leverage
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
7 hours ago
- Leader Live
Badenoch to call for end to oil and gas windfall tax and ban on new licences
The energy profits levy was put in place under the previous Conservative government but extended when Labour entered power. Designed to fund interventions to bring down household bills, the policy has been criticised by those in the industry. Speaking at the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh on Friday, Mrs Badenoch is expected to tout the oil and gas sector, accusing the UK Government of 'killing' it, claiming 'renewing our party and our country means standing up for our oil and gas industry'. She will add: 'When the oil and gas windfall tax, the energy profits levy, was brought in, the oil price was near a historic high, at the exact time as energy bills for the British people were sky-rocketing. 'But there is no longer a windfall to tax. It has long gone. And the longer this regressive tax on one of our most successful industries remains, the more damaging it becomes. 'Labour have extended and increased this tax. They are killing this industry.' If the measure remains in place to 2030 as intended, Mrs Badenoch will say 'there will be no industry left to tax'. She will add: 'So, today, I say enough. Labour must remove the energy profits levy. Labour must speed up the process of replacing it with a system that rewards success and incentivises investment. 'Because we shouldn't have this energy profits levy at all. 'We must scrap the ban on new licences. 'We must overturn the ban on supporting oil and gas technology exports. 'And we must champion our own industry. 'We must let this great British, great Scottish industry thrive, grow and create jobs – ensuring our energy security for generations to come, driving growth and making this country richer in the process.' Mrs Badenoch will address her first Scottish party conference as leader on Friday while her counterpart north of the border Russell Findlay will deliver his inaugural address on Saturday. Responding to Mrs Badenoch, Simon Francis of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said her comments were 'out of touch', adding: 'Even with the windfall tax in place, the energy industry made over £115 billion in profits in 2024 alone. 'Meanwhile, average household energy bills remain hundreds and hundreds of pounds higher than they were before the energy crisis started. 'While the Government is right to be consulting on reform of the windfall tax, maintaining a profits levy could help fund home upgrades and a social tariff which would bring down energy bills for the most vulnerable in society.' SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said: 'The Tories wrecked our economy, presided over soaring household bills and ripped Scotland from the EU against our will. 'And now they're lurching further to the right as they haemorrhage votes to Nigel Farage. 'This weekend will be an important reminder of how Westminster has failed Scotland. Only the SNP is offering hope and a brighter future as an independent nation.' Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: 'While the Tories and SNP let energy workers down by failing to plan for the future, Scottish Labour is committed to taking action towards reaching net zero, creating jobs and cutting energy bills. 'The Tories are on the side of oil and gas giants rather than working Scots, but Scottish Labour will work with the UK Government and use devolved powers to deliver a just transition for the industry. 'With Kemi Badenoch desperately attempting to rally the few remaining Scottish Tories, it seems like it won't be long until they can fit all of their MSPs in a single taxi.'
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Badenoch to call for end to oil and gas windfall tax
Designed to fund interventions to bring down household bills, the policy has been criticised by those in the industry. Speaking at the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh on Friday, Mrs Badenoch is expected to tout the oil and gas sector, accusing the UK Government of 'killing' it, claiming 'renewing our party and our country means standing up for our oil and gas industry'. She will add: 'When the oil and gas windfall tax, the energy profits levy, was brought in, the oil price was near a historic high, at the exact time as energy bills for the British people were sky-rocketing. 'But there is no longer a windfall to tax. It has long gone. And the longer this regressive tax on one of our most successful industries remains, the more damaging it becomes. 'Labour have extended and increased this tax. They are killing this industry.' Mrs Badenoch is expected to tout the oil and gas sector, accusing the UK Government of 'killing' it, claiming 'renewing our party and our country means standing up for our oil and gas industry'. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) If the measure remains in place to 2030 as intended, Mrs Badenoch will say 'there will be no industry left to tax'. She will add: 'So, today, I say enough. Labour must remove the energy profits levy. Labour must speed up the process of replacing it with a system that rewards success and incentivises investment. 'Because we shouldn't have this energy profits levy at all. 'We must scrap the ban on new licences. 'We must overturn the ban on supporting oil and gas technology exports. 'And we must champion our own industry. 'We must let this great British, great Scottish industry thrive, grow and create jobs – ensuring our energy security for generations to come, driving growth and making this country richer in the process.' Mrs Badenoch will address her first Scottish party conference as leader on Friday while her counterpart north of the border Russell Findlay will deliver his inaugural address on Saturday. Responding to Mrs Badenoch, Simon Francis of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said her comments were 'out of touch', adding: 'Even with the windfall tax in place, the energy industry made over £115 billion in profits in 2024 alone. 'Meanwhile, average household energy bills remain hundreds and hundreds of pounds higher than they were before the energy crisis started. 'While the Government is right to be consulting on reform of the windfall tax, maintaining a profits levy could help fund home upgrades and a social tariff which would bring down energy bills for the most vulnerable in society.' READ MORE: SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said: 'The Tories wrecked our economy, presided over soaring household bills and ripped Scotland from the EU against our will. 'And now they're lurching further to the right as they haemorrhage votes to Nigel Farage. 'This weekend will be an important reminder of how Westminster has failed Scotland. Only the SNP is offering hope and a brighter future as an independent nation.' Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: 'While the Tories and SNP let energy workers down by failing to plan for the future, Scottish Labour is committed to taking action towards reaching net zero, creating jobs and cutting energy bills. 'The Tories are on the side of oil and gas giants rather than working Scots, but Scottish Labour will work with the UK Government and use devolved powers to deliver a just transition for the industry. 'With Kemi Badenoch desperately attempting to rally the few remaining Scottish Tories, it seems like it won't be long until they can fit all of their MSPs in a single taxi.'
Crypto Insight
7 days ago
- Crypto Insight
European Parliament to vote on tech sovereignty proposal in July
The European Parliament is set to vote on a technology sovereignty proposal submitted by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) under the leadership of pro-Bitcoin lawmaker Sarah Knafo. ITRE, one of 24 standing committees in the European Parliament, on June 3 adopted a non-binding report on tech sovereignty and digital infrastructure, calling for a European policy for the digital ecosystem. The proposal highlights concerns that Europe is falling behind the United States and China in strategic sectors such as the cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and communication infrastructure. The report suggests lifting barriers to private investment in innovation, promoting energy-efficient computing and blockchain infrastructure and safeguarding privacy in digital finance. Parliament vote expected in July According to the communication from the ITRE, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the proposal in the upcoming plenary session. Knafo, a key backer of the proposal, told Cointelegraph that the vote will most likely occur during the July session. 'If all the right-wing parties vote in favor of the text, and normally they should, we have a good chance to get a majority,' said Knafo. 'But left-wing parties put pressure on the center-right party to block it. We will see if they resist it.' Knafo emphasized that the report is not yet a legally binding piece of legislation and is supposed to define political guidelines only. Is the EU set for a digital revolution? 'I strongly believe that we are still at the very beginning of the digital revolution. So far, Europe is lagging behind, to say the least,' Knafo said, adding: 'We have all the talented engineers and scientists we need to catch up with the US and China. We just need a suitable political frame to let them work in Europe.' While Knafo is confident about the potential for a digital revolution in the EU, some commentators are less optimistic about the outcome. Skeptics in the French media portal Frontières expressed gratitude for Knafo's efforts but doubt whether the proposal will gain the support of a majority of the parliament's 720 lawmakers. 'Change will come from the nations. Change will come from people. AfD [Alternative for Germany], Poland, Hungary, Netherlands. It's shy but it moves,' one commenter wrote. Knafo's protest against the digital euro Knafo's advocacy for tech sovereignty follows her vocal opposition to the European Central Bank's (ECB) plans for a digital euro. In a speech to the European Parliament in late 2024, she called instead for a Bitcoin strategic reserve 'No to the digital euro, yes to a strategic Bitcoin reserve,' Knafo stated in her speech to the European Parliament last December. However, the European Union has moved in the opposite direction. ECB officials such as Piero Cipollone highlight the urgent need for the digital euro to counteract the rising adoption of US dollar stablecoins. In January 2025, ECB President Christine Lagarde also dismissed the opportunity to create a Bitcoin reserve, emphasizing that central bank reserves must be 'liquid, secure and safe.' Source:
