George Parker

Why Keir Starmer made Nigel Farage Britain’s ‘real opposition’ PM’s decision was controversial with some Labour strategists fearing it gave Reform UK too much credibility

Starmer's decision to treat Farage as "the real opposition"; the political calculation, the risks, the polling. Contributions from @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social John Curtice and Nigel Farage "laughing his socks off"
www.ft.com/content/2715...

‘Her challenge is the voters’: Can Rachel Reeves’ spending review rebuild her reputation? [FREE TO READ] UK chancellor has seen her approval ratings plunge since taking office

on.ft.com/4jHhvkF
Rachel Reeves and a defining moment for her chancellorship - analysis of the Spending Review with Sam Fleming

"REEVES RETREAT RESTORES WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS TO PENSIONERS"

@georgewparker.bsky.social for @financialtimes.com.

Chancellor #RachelReeves will restore Winter Fuel Payments to all but 2 million pensioners with income of more than £35,000.

#FinancialTimes
#IBPAPERS
#TomorrowsPapersToday

Facing down a fiscal firestorm A look ahead to the spending review

Rachel Reeves and the spending review bunfight. Excellent chat with @robertshrimsley.bsky.social @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social and Sam Fleming
www.ft.com/content/892d...

Rachel Reeves to back Manchester-Liverpool rail link in transport spending boost Chancellor lines up £113bn infrastructure investment package as part of next week’s government spending review

New - Big Reeves announcement coming on transport, including new line from Manchester to Liverpool, ahead of Spending Review on June 11. @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social and me
www.ft.com/content/9e2d...

Who’s afraid of Nigel Farage? Plus: Rachel Reeves’ problems are piling up ahead of the autumn budget

Starmer v Farage and Reeves’s fiscal fix, dissected by the brilliant @stephenkb.bsky.social @chrisgiles.ft.com and @annasophiegross.bsky.social - plus hot @lucyfisher.ft.com baby news
www.ft.com/content/c005...

great story from @annasophiegross.bsky.social

UK confirms powers to force pension funds to back British assets Chancellor hopes plan to establish ‘megafunds’, circumscribed by binding allocation targets, will drive returns for savers

"Crossing the Rubicon"? Treasury confirms it will legislate for "reserve powers" to tell pension funds to put billions of pounds of savers' money into private assets. Good move to get more cash into the British economy or a dangerous state power grab?
www.ft.com/content/a637...

One in 10 UK civil service jobs facing axe About 50,000 Whitehall posts set to be cut in ‘brutal’ public spending review, officials say

New Big cuts to civil service on the way as part of the spending review squeeze (but only heading back towards where numbers were before Brexit and Covid)
www.ft.com/content/1311...

Is Labour’s post-Brexit reset a victory or a betrayal? Plus: Starmer’s Chagos deal

📻Starmer - happier on the world stage? @georgewparker.bsky.social in the hotseat with @pmdfoster.bsky.social and myself, plus @andybounds.bsky.social in Brussels on all this hyperactive dealmaking. www.ft.com/content/1789...

How the UK and EU thrashed out a post-Brexit reset in relations [FREE TO READ] Starmer’s big concession on fishing came as bloc offered better trade terms for British food exporters

Gimps, overnight train journeys to Kyiv, late steel deals, 11th hour Macron blessings, commas. Inside the EU deal with @andybounds.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4j6oVNT

UK and EU agree post-Brexit reset after ‘breakthrough’ in talks Deals reached on fisheries and agriculture in late-night haggling ahead of summit in London

New: Deal done. All the details. @andybounds.bsky.social and me. EU diplomats say Britain has agreed a 12-year extension of fisheries access to UK waters..but disappointed by wording on youth mobility. Big econ win for UK - unlimited agrifood trade deal
www.ft.com/content/78f1...

Starmer sees Farage as ‘real opponent’ in new political landscape UK prime minister has told allies that the Tories are heading for the ‘end of the road’

What you really want, when you want your opponents to stay divided, is to give a clear steer as to which one the main rival is. All that and more in this terrific read by @georgewparker.bsky.social:

Donald Trump to announce trade deal with UK Limited agreement is expected to be focused on UK steel and car exports

New - latest on today's US/UK trade deal. Limited focus on most affected areas - cars and steel - but hopes in London that Britain might swerve future Trump tariffs on pharma. Cuts to UK tariffs on US goods, inc cars/meat expected. Details about 3pm
www.ft.com/content/8115...

US wants UK military to focus more on Europe and away from Asia [FREE TO READ] Pentagon believes British should place more emphasis on their own region in policy shift from Biden administration

EXC: Pentagon wants UK military to focus more on Europe and less on Asia, in a major policy shift from Biden administration, which pushed European allies to boost Indo-Pac activity to send a strong signal to China

From Demetri Sevastopulo & me 👇

on.ft.com/4iTeDRi

UK set to limit permanent residency for some migrants Labour seeks to show voters it is getting to grips with number of foreigners coming to work in Britain

FT leak from imminent immigration white paper:

“Migrants in the UK would need to wait longer before they could apply to make their residency permanent under plans being drawn up by the Labour government as part of a crackdown on foreigners coming to work in Britain.”

www.ft.com/content/afa1...

Industrial strategy aims to tackle UK’s sky-high energy costs Shielding industry from inflated prices is centrepiece of next month’s announcement

New - Keir Starmer's vaunted industrial strategy targets sky high industrial energy costs. “If we don’t deal with uncompetitive energy prices, it doesn’t really matter what else we do,” said one government official.
www.ft.com/content/7c49...

UK looking at setting up youth mobility scheme with EU, minister says Ahead of key summit, Nick Thomas-Symonds tells FT that a ‘smart’ programme would benefit young people

New - EU negotiations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds tells the FT a "smart, controlled" youth mobility scheme is on the table as part of a big package. “I don’t worry about selling something that we believe would make the UK more secure and more prosperous,” he said.
www.ft.com/content/d2d9...

Great scoop by @pickardje.bsky.social and @pmdfoster.bsky.social

‘Apocalyptic’: Tory wipeout as Nigel Farage storms English councils [FREE TO READ] Reform party’s rout in local elections poses huge challenges for Conservatives and Labour

Apocalypse now. Analysis with @lucyfisher.ft.com on what Farage’s advance means for Starmer and Badenoch
on.ft.com/42Zq6ZA

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK hammers Tories and Labour in local election rout [FREE TO READ] Big two parties lose ground while rightwing rival surges in council and mayoral polls

Farage declares end of two party politics on day of electoral destruction for Starmer and Badenoch. News wrap at end of a big day with @pickardje.bsky.social and @lucyfisher.ft.com

on.ft.com/44lfwyh

Nigel Farage shakes British politics with local election surge Reform wins more local council seats than every other party put together

Analysis of a transformational night in British politics
www.ft.com/content/59d1...

JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon backs Rachel Reeves’ ‘pro-growth agenda’ Comments from boss of biggest US bank come as UK chancellor seeks to ‘talk up’ economy

New - Jamie Dimon boost for Reeves' new bid to talk up the economy: "They have reinforced their commitments to an open economy, strengthening of infrastructure and the stability of markets — all of which is good for investor confidence.”
www.ft.com/content/95ab...

The battle for England’s southern shires Lib Dems seek to repeat last year’s general election success and win scores of council seats in the Tory party’s heartland

“I asked if we could get a cherrypicker so I could fix the church roof here." Ed Davey on the trail, admitting some self-doubt about all the stunts. “It was outside of my comfort zone. I would come back in the evening and ask: “Are you sure this is right?”
www.ft.com/content/8089...

Markets or Trump: who’s in charge? Plus: a stocktake of the political year so far

🌟 Latest FT Political Fix features a star turn re the bond markets from @katie0martin.ft.com as @georgewparker.bsky.social and I plus host @lucyfisher.ft.com hang on her every word www.ft.com/content/30ca... - plus a chat on Starmer's Q1 performance

Theresa May: ‘Keep calm and keep talking to Trump’ The former UK prime minister on tariffs, Boris Johnson’s manoeuvring — and the time the president held her hand

Lunch with the FT with Theresa May: holding hands with Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, coughing fits, Tories under Badenoch, geography - the former PM opens up in a rare personal interview. Washed down with a dry Gavi
www.ft.com/content/f2ba...

Labour’s trade and tariff balancing act Plus, UK tries to negotiate Trump’s minimum rate and broader US economic deal but none of this looks easy

Today's FT Inside Politics (while @stephenkb.bsky.social is away), featuring Reeves' EU gambit, tariff baseline blues, the magnificent Exmoor coast and the great RSC show at Soho Place, Kyoto
www.ft.com/content/b584...

Trade war makes improved UK-EU relations ‘imperative’, says Reeves Britain could exploit the chaos unleashed by Donald Trump, chancellor tells FT

New - Rachel Reeves tells the @FT that closer EU/UK trade ties "imperative" in wake of Trump trade war and claims that Britain is a safe haven for investors in the midst of the chaos. With @DanielThomasLDN
www.ft.com/content/f51a...

Unite divided: British trade union grapples with twin scandals Scrutiny of business ventures has led to allegations of conflicts of interest

Superb investigation into the extraordinary saga gripping Unite by @pickardje.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/9e17...

Universal closes in on deal to build Bedford theme park UK ministers hope ‘Project Nectarine’ will boost ambitions to develop Oxford-Cambridge corridor

A bit of brighter economic news from the US: Universal about to finalise deal with Treasury to build Europe's biggest theme park in a disused Bedford brickworks. with
@danielthomasldn.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/5eb3...