Latest news with #Brexit-backing
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Labour's new vow to British businesses amid flood of cheap foreign competition
The Government is sending out the message that it will stand out for UK companies in the face of unfair tactics by rivals, including possible quotas on cheap Chinese steel Labour has vowed to "protect" UK firms from cheap and unfair foreign competition. In a marked change of tone from previous governments, it will champion a back British message in its new Trade Strategy. Others see the plan as a bid to further remove trade barriers with the EU, potentially angering Brexit-backing voters. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will say: 'We will not sit by idly while cheap imports threaten to undercut UK industry.' Trade Minister Douglas Alexander called it 'pragmatic patriotism'. He added: 'In this changed and challenging world, we will promote what we can and protect what we must to advance the UK's national interest.' Sources insist the pivot is not akin to US President Donald Trump 's protectionist policies. But it is a recognition that UK companies have been at a disadvantage compared to those in many other countries, with the aim of levelling the playing field. Examples could include quotas to prevent the 'dumping' of cheap state-subsidised Chinese steel given a global over-supply and fears for UK producers. Labour has also pledged to cut energy costs for UK manufacturers through its Industrial Strategy, unveiled earlier this week. Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, says the government can do its part through its huge spending power. She will tell the BCC's annual conference on Thursday, at which Mr Reynolds is due to speak: 'Government must use the power of its purse. It must buy British. We need government to keep its promise to boost British businesses through its infrastructure strategy, and to apply these rules to all areas of government procurement. Ministers say 'trade defences' will be toughened up with new tools and safeguards to 'better protect vital industries from global threats'. As well as trying to combat unfair imports, they will also vow to unlock £5billion worth of opportunities for UK exporters through a new fund. It comes against what the government will say is a backdrop of turbulent economic times, 'resurgent protectionism' elsewhere and unfair trading practices creating 'significant challenges for businesses and industries across the whole of the UK'. Mr Reynolds said: 'The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest . Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: 'What works for business, works for Britain. It means more jobs, more opportunities, and more money in people's pockets.' TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This is an important step forward to a trade agenda with workers' rights and good jobs at its heart - and it represents a marked departure from the Conservative approach of treating trade deals as mere PR exercises. t's right that the government is focusing on removing barriers to trade with our largest trading partner - the EU - on which thousands of quality jobs depend, and it's vital that the government continues to show ambition in its trading reset with the bloc.' Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns for closer trade ties with the EU, said: This plan correctly identifies the importance of restoring frictionless access to reliable EU markets for British farmers, but the gamechanger will be doing the same for all British industries, which independent analysis shows is the best way to significantly boost the UK economy and bring down prices for British consumers.' Alongside the Trade Strategy, the government also published a six-week consultation for views from across the steel supply chain to ensure continued protection for UK steel producers, jobs, and supply chains beyond the expiry of current World Trade Organisation safeguards in June next year.
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Two-Party System Faces Major Test in Local Elections
The traditional two-party political system is under mounting pressure, a leading polling expert has warned ahead of local elections across England. Polls open on Thursday in contests across 23 councils and five mayoral races, including new posts in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. The results are expected to offer a critical snapshot of shifting allegiances, particularly the growing influence of Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The Conservatives The Liberal Democrats are also expected to gain ground, particularly in southern England. Labour may face some losses, while the Green Party and independent candidates' outcomes remain uncertain. Fragmented Landscape Emerges Sir John Curtice, polling expert and professor of politics at Strathclyde University, told The Epoch Times the elections underscore the deepening fragmentation of British politics. Related Stories 3/20/2025 2/7/2025 'Welcome to five-party politics. Most of these results are going to be won by very narrow margins on very low shares of the vote,' he said. He added the vote could mark the most significant challenge to the two-party dominance that has defined British politics since 1922. 'The signs were all very, very clear in the last general election. Labour and the Tories, between them, got a lower share of the vote than at any election since then,' he said. The results could leave more councils with no overall control and challenge assumptions in Westminster ahead of the next general election. Curtice argued that Labour's problem is that they're 'losing votes all over the place.' However, 'Reform are still picking up more votes off the Tories than they're picking up off Labour. It is a bigger threat to the Tories than to Labour,' he said. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch She expects there to be a 'correction' from the Tories' previous strong local results, which came in the wake of the government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout in 2021. Tories on Defensive in Reform Battlegrounds More than 1,600 council seats are up for grabs in the Thursday vote. Reform is projected to perform particularly strongly in Brexit-backing areas like Lincolnshire and parts of Nottinghamshire and Durham. In the newly created Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty, former Conservative MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns, now standing for Reform, is leading comfortably, polling 15 points ahead of Tory Rob Waltham, according to 'Lincolnshire is the most pro-Brexit county in the country,' Curtice noted, adding, however, that part of the controversy about Jenkyns is that she doesn't come from the area. An official attaches a sign to a polling station as voting begins in the by-election in Wakefield, England on June 23, candidacy was challenged over residency, but officials ruled she was eligible after moving to Lincolnshire and registering to vote in February. Reform is also showing strong support in However, Curtice noted the key uncertainty is how many seats Reform will win outright, rather than merely splitting the right-wing vote and allowing gains for Labour, Liberal Democrats, or Greens. 'There is big uncertainty, particularly given you've got five parties all in the local elections likely to be pretty similar to each other in terms of their strength. 'Most of these votes are going to be won by very narrow margins on very low shares of the bank,' he said. Labour and Liberal Democrats Labour is hoping to make gains, particularly in Durham, where it could regain control of the county council. But again, Reform's rise could disrupt that path. In Doncaster, Labour Mayor Ros Jones faces a strong challenge from Reform's Alexander Jones. Although Doncaster has been a Labour stronghold, its heavily pro-Brexit electorate makes it fertile territory for Reform's pitch to disillusioned voters. Labour has stepped up its rhetoric, accusing the Tories of having The party Ahead of the local elections vote, the government has toughened its position on immigration—an issue central to Reform's platform—including pledging the The Liberal Democrats are hoping to capitalise on Conservative weakness in the southwest, targeting councils like Cornwall and Devon. However, Curtice cautioned that while the Lib Dems are likely to make gains, 'most of the councils will end up hung' rather than changing hands entirely. He suggested that Oxfordshire—rather than Devon or Cornwall—is the council most likely to flip fully to the Liberal Democrats, reflecting stronger support in pro-Remain university towns. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. on Thursday. Results are expected throughout Friday.
Telegraph
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Farage: I'll double the size of Britain's fishing zone
Nigel Farage has vowed to double the size of Britain's exclusive fishing zone and warned a Brexit climbdown by Labour risks destroying the industry. The Reform UK leader told The Telegraph he would extend the waters from which foreign boats are barred without permission from six miles to 12 miles from shore. His pledge comes ahead of local elections in Brexit-backing and coastal areas, where his party is expected to make big gains. Reform is looking to capitalise on claims, not denied by ministers, that Labour is set to make major concessions on fishing access to secure its EU reset. Mr Farage said that disillusionment with the Tories was also still high in coastal communities for failing to deliver on the promises it made on Brexit. His party is particularly hopeful of a major breakthrough in Lincolnshire, which is heavily Eurosceptic and home to major fishing ports including Grimsby. 'For the inshore fishing communities, which have for centuries been the mainstay of Britain's coastal communities, the situation is pretty catastrophic,' he said. 'The disappointment and the anger in the industry with the Tories since Brexit almost knows no bounds, and if Labour make it worse, I think it may well be the end of an industry. 'We would reclaim the 12-mile exclusive fishing zone and any boat that fished between six and 12 would do so with our ability to inspect and our ability to set the rules.' 'Catastrophic stock decline' Coastal nations all have what is known as an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – the waters around their coasts to which they fully control access. Whilst other nations like Iceland and Norway have EEZs which stretch 200 nautical miles from their shores, Britain's only goes as far as six miles. The limit stems from the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and exists despite the fact that the UK's territorial waters extend for 12 miles out to sea. Fishing industry bodies have previously urged the Government to take advantage of Brexit and leave the CFP to extend the zone out to 12 miles. Mr Farage said foreign boats were currently able to 'plunder' Britain's coastal seas between six and 12 miles out, leading to 'catastrophic stock decline'. Labour is reportedly set to agree to granting multi-year access to EU boats to UK waters in return for Brussels agreeing to sign up to a defence pact. Under the current Brexit deal, from next year, European vessels will lose their automatic right to fish in British seas and will have to negotiate access annually. EU states, including France, have been pushing for concessions from Downing Street on greater access in return for more cooperation on security. Mr Farage asked: 'Who has got the whip hand in these negotiations? If we settle for this new deal, who's actually in charge? 'The madness, of course, is that, managed correctly, the fish in the sea are the greatest renewable source that we possess as an island.' The Reform leader also warned Labour was planning a 'full EU betrayal' with a series of mini-deals to take Britain much closer to the bloc. He said that its plans for a security pact involve intelligence sharing with Europe that 'the US would never live with', putting transatlantic cooperation at risk. Mr Farage also said a visa deal for young people, which Brussels is pushing hard for, would amount to 'the reintroduction of open door immigration'.
Bloomberg
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Brexiteer Ratcliffe's Carmaker Ineos Blames EU for Trump Tariffs
The carmaker founded by Brexit-backing billionaire Jim Ratcliffe criticized the European Union over US auto tariffs, accusing Brussels of failing to negotiate with President Donald Trump's administration. Ineos Automotive Ltd., which makes its Grenadier sport utility vehicle in France, said it's 'outraged that the tariff situation with the US has been neglected by the EU.' Trump's additional 25% import duty will be collected from April 3.
New European
17-03-2025
- Business
- New European
Will Reform return disgraced Crispin Odey's donation?
Odious has denied claims, reported by the Financial Times and Byline Media, of sexual assault and harassment against him from 20 women. The allegations led to him being removed from his hedge fund business Odey Asset Management, which announced that it was closing in October 2023. Good news from the world of finance, where the Brexit-backing hedge fund manager Crispin Odey has been banned from the City and fined £1.8m after deliberately attempting to frustrate a disciplinary process into sexual harassment allegations. Now the Financial Conduct Authority has said that Odey had shown 'reckless disregard' for the governance of his hedge fund and his conduct proved he was 'not a fit and proper person to perform any function related to regulated activities'. He intends to appeal against the decision. Odious was a fervent backer of Brexit, giving the Vote Leave campaign group £873,000. His enthusiasm was not least because he made £220m on the night of the vote with a bet that markets would fall in the event of a vote to leave. He turned to Italian to express his delight, telling the BBC 'Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca', 'the morning has gold in its mouth'. Now he has very slightly less gold in his mouth, the hedge fund manager's latest fall from grace presents a further problem for Nigel Farage's beleaguered Reform party. Does it keep the £10,000 donation it took from him last year now he is fully disgraced in the eyes of the Square Mile? Given that the donation was happily accepted two months after a string of allegations of sexual misconduct came to light, that Reform did its best to hide it until an investigative website discovered the source of the cash and that James McMurdock continues to sit as an MP for it despite serving a jail term for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, it's a fair bet that the answer is 'yes'.
