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Why Labour's Budget Politics Makes Reeves Miserable

Why Labour's Budget Politics Makes Reeves Miserable

Bloomberg10 hours ago
The tears that fell from UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves' eyes during Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons Wednesday were so unexpected it was hard to trust one's own.
We've all been emotional at inconvenient moments, perhaps even cried at work or in public. But when the teardrops are those of the finance minister of the world's sixth-largest economy, whose visible distress can move markets, it's more than a 'tough day,' as she described it yesterday. Reeves and her boss, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, must now get a grip on both their personal relations and the politics of leading their year-old government.
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3 Italian Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025
3 Italian Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025

Yahoo

time22 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

3 Italian Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025

Italian automotive manufacturers have long been celebrated for their stunning design, racing heritage and passionate engineering. However, when it comes to long-term reliability and dependability, several Italian car brands continue to struggle in 2025, according to multiple automotive reliability studies and industry experts. For You: Read Next: Based on data from Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, WhatCar and other automotive research organizations, three Italian car brands have been flagged as among the least reliable vehicles you can buy in 2025. Here's what potential buyers need to know about these brands before making a purchase decision. Alfa Romeo ranks as the second worst car company in the world according to WhatCar's latest dependability study (after MG), making it a significant concern for reliability-conscious buyers. Check Out: 'Alfa builds stunning vehicles that are enjoyable to drive, but they're simply not designed for long-term reliability,' said Alex Black of car research platform EpicVIN. This sentiment reflects the ongoing challenge with Alfa Romeo vehicles; they deliver exceptional driving experiences but often come with significant maintenance headaches. Despite the brand's overall reliability struggles, the Alfa Romeo model that is the most reliable and ranks the highest in its vehicle category is the Alfa Romeo 4C, which ranks 8 out of 27 Most Reliable Luxury Convertibles, according to iSeeCars. Following the 4C is the Alfa Romeo Giulia and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. While Alfa Romeo vehicles offer undeniable style and performance, buyers should be prepared for higher maintenance costs and more frequent service visits compared to more reliable alternatives. Consumer Reports had insufficient data to create brand rankings for Alfa Romeo, which often indicates limited sales volume but also suggests potential reliability concerns among the vehicles that are sold. Fiat continues to struggle with reliability issues that have plagued the brand for years. Fiat finds itself seventh on WhatCar's list of least dependable car brands, highlighting ongoing quality control problems. The reliability issues are particularly pronounced with specific models. The Fiat 500X is a particularly weak entry, landing on U.S. News and World Report's dreaded list of Most Unreliable Cars. This compact SUV has become emblematic of Fiat's reliability struggles in the American market. The Italian small car specialist has failed to manufacture cars as well as their rival Mini, demonstrating that other European brands have managed to achieve better reliability standards in the same market segment. If you want a European sub-compact car, do yourself a favor and buy a Mini instead, according to automotive experts. This recommendation reflects the significant reliability gap between Fiat and its more dependable competitors. Maserati represents the luxury end of Italian automotive manufacturing, but even their premium positioning hasn't shielded them from reliability issues. Consumer Reports had insufficient data to create brand rankings for Maserati, along with several other luxury brands. This lack of comprehensive data often indicates either very low sales volumes or significant reliability concerns that affect data collection. Among Maserati's lineup, the Maserati model that is the most reliable and ranks the highest in its vehicle category is the Maserati Quattroporte, which ranks 18 out of 24 in iSeeCar's Most Reliable Luxury Large Cars. Following the Quattroporte is the Maserati Levante and the Maserati Ghibli. Even within Maserati's limited reliability rankings, the Quattroporte's 18th place out of 24 in its category demonstrates the challenges facing Italian luxury car reliability. This ranking suggests that even Maserati's most reliable model performs below average compared to competitors in the luxury large car segment. Italian car manufacturers have historically prioritized performance, style and driving emotion over long-term reliability. This engineering philosophy, while creating exciting vehicles, often results in more complex systems that require more maintenance. Industry experts see reliability issues firsthand in post-warranty service and auction return rates, providing real-world evidence of the reliability challenges facing Italian brands. Many European manufacturers, including Italian brands, struggle with integrating new technologies while maintaining reliability standards, leading to systems that may be innovative but prone to problems. When evaluating Italian car brands, buyers should factor in potentially higher maintenance costs, more frequent service visits and possible warranty repairs when calculating the total cost of ownership. Buyers should be particularly cautious about post-warranty service costs, as Italian vehicles often experience more problems after their warranty periods expire. For buyers seeking European styling and performance with better reliability, consider alternatives like BMW, Audi or even Mini, which have demonstrated better long-term dependability in recent studies. While Italian car brands continue to produce some of the most beautiful and emotionally engaging vehicles on the market, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Maserati all face significant reliability challenges in 2025. These brands may create stunning vehicles that are enjoyable to drive, but they're simply not designed for long-term reliability. Potential buyers should carefully weigh their priorities: if you value style, performance and driving excitement above all else, these Italian brands may still appeal to you. However, if reliability, low maintenance costs and peace of mind are your primary concerns, you'll likely find better options among Japanese or other European manufacturers. Before purchasing any vehicle from these brands, ensure you have a comprehensive warranty, budget for higher maintenance costs and have access to qualified service technicians familiar with Italian vehicles. While these cars can provide years of driving pleasure, they require more attention and care than their more reliable competitors. More From GOBankingRates 6 Big Shakeups Coming to Social Security in 2025 This article originally appeared on 3 Italian Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025

Fact check: Reform was largest party in Warwickshire local elections
Fact check: Reform was largest party in Warwickshire local elections

Yahoo

time32 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Fact check: Reform was largest party in Warwickshire local elections

A senior Reform UK politician claimed that the party 'won a walloping majority on May 1, becoming the largest party with 23 seats' on Warwickshire County Council. Reform won around four in 10 of the seats on the council, gaining just over 30% of the total vote – making it the biggest party by both measures, however it did not win a majority in either sense. The council does not provide a single public webpage displaying the vote tallies of all the wards in the last local election. The PA news agency compiled the results from all the different wards into a spreadsheet. Analysis of that data shows that there were a total of 160,300 votes cast in the election, of which somewhat over 49,000 were cast for Reform candidates. That is around 30.7% of the vote. While it fell short of exceeding 50% of the vote to obtain a majority, the result makes Reform the largest party by vote share, ahead of the Conservatives on 24.9%. The analysis also shows that Reform won 23 out of the 57 council seats. That is around 40% of the total seats on the council. Post on X (archived post and video) Spreadsheet of PA analysis (downloads as spreadsheet)

Trump says he is about to raise tariffs as high as 70% on some countries
Trump says he is about to raise tariffs as high as 70% on some countries

CNN

time37 minutes ago

  • CNN

Trump says he is about to raise tariffs as high as 70% on some countries

On April 9, President Donald Trump gave the world a three-month window to negotiate trade deals with the United States or face higher 'reciprocal' tariffs. With just five days remaining in that tariff moratorium, the White House is expected to begin delivering a message to a dozen or so countries: Time is up, and here's your new tariff rate. Trump early Friday at Joint Base Andrews told reporters that he would notify 10 to 12 nations a day over the course of the next five days, detailing their new tariffs in letters that the White House would begin sending on Friday. In most cases, the new rates would go into effect August 1, Trump said. 'They'll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs, but they're going to be starting to go out sometime tomorrow,' Trump said. 'We've done the final form, and it's basically going to explain what the countries are going to be paying in tariffs.' In April, Trump imposed 'reciprocal' tariffs as high as 50% on most of America's trading partners. So tariffs of 60% or 70% would exceed those rates, which sent stocks crumbling into bear-market territory, while bonds and the US dollar sold off sharply. US stocks and bonds markets were closed for Independence Day Friday, but stock markets and futures fell around the world. It's not clear yet which countries would receive the letters, but Trump has called out certain trading partners for driving too hard of a bargain, including the European Union and Japan. Trump this week threatened to send a letter to 'spoiled' Japan setting its tariff rate as high as 35%. Still, that may have been a negotiating tactic, and it's not known whether those partners will be among the countries for whom the White House will set new tariffs. Trump said he expected the letters to be delivered by the administration's self-imposed July 9 deadline to draft deals. The administration has said at times that its timeframe was flexible for countries that make a good-faith effort to negotiate with the United States. For countries that are continuing to negotiate with the United States but have not yet reached a deal, including India, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that 'the deadline is not critical.' That's a point that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized to Fox Business last week, too, saying he thinks trade negotiations could be 'wrapped up' by Labor Day, providing a more relaxed framework for inking deals than the previously prescribed July 9 deadline. But Trump appeared to adjust that timeframe on Friday. Asked if countries would be afforded any flexibility with the tariff deadline, Trump said, 'not really.' 'They'll start to pay on August 1. The money will start to come into the United States on August 1, in pretty much all cases,' Trump said. Still, Bessent on Thursday told Bloomberg TV that he predicted a 'flurry' of deals before July 9. And for those who couldn't reach an agreement with the United States, 'about 100 countries' could continue to face only the 10% minimum tariff rates that the United States imposed during Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcement on April 2. Trump appeared to confirm that this week, saying, 'We have a couple of other deals,' and, 'As we get to the smaller countries, we're pretty much going to keep the tariffs the same.' So far, the administration has signed narrow frameworks for trade deal negotiations with just two partners: the United Kingdom and China. Trump this week said his administration has also reached an agreement with Vietnam, though the status of that arrangement remains unknown, and a framework does not appear to have been signed. The White House has not provided terms of the Vietnam agreement beyond a social media post from Trump. For months, the Trump administration has said deals are imminent, working with 18 key partners to lower trade barriers while hundreds of other countries wait in line to get out from under the burden of higher tariffs. At one point, Trump said 200 deals were possible and nearly done. 'I've made all the deals,' Trump said in a Time interview in late April, saying trade negotiations with foreign partners were nearly complete. 'I've made 200 deals.' More than two weeks later, Trump acknowledged that hundreds or even dozens of deals aren't possible on such a short timeframe — a point he reiterated last Friday at a press briefing at the White House. 'You know, we have 200 countries,' Trump said. 'We can't do that. So at a certain point, over the next week and a half or so, or maybe before, we're going to send out a letter. We talked to many of the countries, and we're just going to tell them what they have to pay to do business in the United States. And it's going to go very quickly.' That idea of establishing new tariffs for countries that can't or won't reach a deal with the United States has been floating around for over two months, but the timeline keeps getting pushed back. On April 23, Trump said his administration would 'set the tariff' for countries that fail to negotiate new terms in the following few weeks. On May 16, Trump said that 'at a certain point, over the next two to three weeks … we'll be telling people what they'll be paying to do business in the United States.' On Thursday, Trump said those letters are a day away. 'It's just much easier,' Trump said. 'We have far more than 170 countries, and how many deals could you make?' CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald and Sam Delouya contributed to this report.

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