UK pharma sector awaits additional particulars from Trump on tariff concessions from US
Lisa O’Carroll
Lisa O’Carroll is a senior Guardian correspondent overlaying commerce.
Offers on metal and tech are sealed, however two different sectors caught within the cross hairs of Donald Trump’s UK tariff deal are anxiously ready for guarantees to be delivered by the US president right now.
The US pledged a “considerably preferential” remedy of the UK’s pharma sector in June, which had but to materialise.
Whereas the presence of a GSK boss ultimately night time’s banquet could point out motion on a deal, the query is not only whether or not the UK will get an extra low cost on a ten% blanket tariff, however what’s included.
The element on the EU aspect has but to materialise with Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris telling the Guardian “a giant physique of labor” has but to be executed to determine what precisely the 15% tariff would apply to.
Trump locked in a 15percentprime tariff fee for prescribed drugs exported from the EU as a part of the joint assertion launched on the finish of August, with a zero or near zero fee on “generic prescribed drugs and their substances and chemical precursors”.
“We don’t have that record of what the generics is or for medical gadgets,” Harris mentioned.
Trump’s resolution to impose 15% tariffs on imports of pharma from EU is already breaching a World Commerce Group settlement that tariffs should not imposed on most medicines for public well being causes.
There may be additionally an expectation each within the EU and in London that exports of wine and spirits will return to pre-Trump, charges when spirits had been rated zero on import to the US and wine was rated between 0.5% and 1.8%.
Share
Up to date at 07.33 EDT
Key occasions
Present key occasions solely
Please activate JavaScript to make use of this characteristic
Council spending in England on emergency housing for homeless households up 25% in previous 12 months, figures present
Patrick Butler
Patrick Butler is the Guardian’s social coverage editor.
In one of many starkest indicators of the housing disaster, new official figures have revealed English councils spent £2.8bn offering housing emergency housing for homeless households final 12 months, an annual enhance of 25%.
The invoice for so-called non permanent lodging – short-term lets and mattress and breakfast hostels – has doubled within the final 5 years, and is and a rising menace to the monetary viability of some councils.
Non-public landlords have been accused on “cashing in” on the disaster – a 3rd of the 2024-25 invoice (£844m) went on placing up households in mattress and breakfast rooms, with an extra £1bn spent on nightly paid short-term lets.
A Guardian investigation earlier this 12 months discovered personal landlords and resort homeowners had been charging councils as much as 60% greater than regular market rents for properties that had been usually soiled, overcrowded and unsuitable for households.
Spiralling hire, insecure tenures, shortages of social housing, and housing profit freezes have pushed an explosion in household homelessness in recent times, with some councils now spending over half their funds on non permanent lodging.
As of 31 March there have been 131,000 households in non permanent lodging. These included 169,000 kids – a determine some estimates predict will rise to almost 200,000 by the tip of the last decade.
“Non-public suppliers are cashing in on this disaster, charging eyewatering sums for rooms the place kids are compelled to eat, sleep and do their homework on beds shared with siblings,” mentioned Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns at housing charity Shelter.
Share
Within the Royal Library at Windsor Fort, Queen Camilla and Melania Trump inspected a show case with drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Holdein.
Among the many different objects they checked out had been a prayer guide belonging to Queen Elizabeth I and Charles I’s copy of Shakespeare’s second folio, which he learn earlier than his execution in 1649.
Queen Camilla and Melania Trump taking a look at drawing within the Royal Library at Windsor Fort. {Photograph}: Aaron Chown/ReutersShare
Robert Peston from ITV Information has posted some footage on social media displaying the place the journalists are being held at Chequers as they await the Trump/Starmer press convention.
Share
Forward of the state go to, the Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy (see 10.11am) hosted a celebration attended by senior rightwing British politicians. In an article for the Every day Telegraph, Gordon Rayner says the occasion degenerated right into a row between the senior Tories over report of the final authorities.
After [Nigel] Farage, [Marco] Rubio and [Scott] Bessent had left to attend one other occasion, the Tory massive beasts and a smattering of Reform bigwigs sat right down to a night of dinner and civil warfare.
[Boris] Johnson, [Liz] Truss, former transport secretary, Mark Harper, and broadcaster, Andrew Neil, argued in regards to the Tories’ report in authorities, notably on immigration, and what the long run course of journey needs to be.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, who could possibly be considered the present standard-bearer of uniting the Proper, (he even attended the Reform convention this month), tried and did not argue that they need to all work collectively for the great of the nation. Reform members smiled wryly as they watched the Tories tear lumps out of one another.
There may be plenty of speak within the UK for the time being from individuals how assume the precise can solely win the following election if the Conservatives and Reform UK can one way or the other work collectively. The previous Tory minister Steve Baker mentioned solely this week he thought some kind of deal was unacceptable.
However Rayner means that will probably be tough. Referring to Boris Johnson, he quotes a “senior Reform determine” as saying:
[Johnson] elicits a visceral emotion in our members. Probably the most consensual opinions amongst Reform members is that he was a catastrophe, and has already claimed the title of the person who ended the Conservative social gathering’s probabilities of ever regaining energy.
If we let him be part of Reform, there could be an exodus of 99.9% of our members.
ShareQueen Camilla and Melania Trump touring the Royal Library in Windsor this morning. {Photograph}: Nathan Howard/ReutersShare
Up to date at 07.35 EDT
UK pharma sector awaits additional particulars from Trump on tariff concessions from US
Lisa O’Carroll
Lisa O’Carroll is a senior Guardian correspondent overlaying commerce.
Offers on metal and tech are sealed, however two different sectors caught within the cross hairs of Donald Trump’s UK tariff deal are anxiously ready for guarantees to be delivered by the US president right now.
The US pledged a “considerably preferential” remedy of the UK’s pharma sector in June, which had but to materialise.
Whereas the presence of a GSK boss ultimately night time’s banquet could point out motion on a deal, the query is not only whether or not the UK will get an extra low cost on a ten% blanket tariff, however what’s included.
The element on the EU aspect has but to materialise with Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris telling the Guardian “a giant physique of labor” has but to be executed to determine what precisely the 15% tariff would apply to.
Trump locked in a 15percentprime tariff fee for prescribed drugs exported from the EU as a part of the joint assertion launched on the finish of August, with a zero or near zero fee on “generic prescribed drugs and their substances and chemical precursors”.
“We don’t have that record of what the generics is or for medical gadgets,” Harris mentioned.
Trump’s resolution to impose 15% tariffs on imports of pharma from EU is already breaching a World Commerce Group settlement that tariffs should not imposed on most medicines for public well being causes.
There may be additionally an expectation each within the EU and in London that exports of wine and spirits will return to pre-Trump, charges when spirits had been rated zero on import to the US and wine was rated between 0.5% and 1.8%.
Share
Up to date at 07.33 EDT
First migrant deported to France underneath ‘one in, one out’ deal
The primary migrant has been despatched again to France underneath the “one in, one out” returns deal, authorities sources have mentioned. PA Media says:
The person from India was on board an Air France airplane to Paris on Thursday, based on The Telegraph.
It comes as the federal government has confronted recent stress over the migrant returns settlement, and stories of deliberate flights for removals being cancelled earlier this week.
ShareKeir Starmer with Donald Trump at Chequers this morning. {Photograph}: Evan Vucci/APShare
Trump welcomes cancellation of US TV present over Charlie Kirk feedback – after praising ‘free speech’ at king’s state banquet
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer are prone to face questions on freedom of speech at their press convention later.
The Trump administration has usually accused European governments, together with Britain’s, of suppressing free speech, notably in the way in which they implement hate speech legal guidelines towards individuals posting on social media.
Regardless of stories that Trump would use his speech on the state banquet to make the case free of charge speech, the president solely included a comparatively transient reference to it. He mentioned:
The authorized, mental, cultural and political traditions of this kingdom have been among the many highest achievements of mankind; there has actually by no means been something prefer it. The British Empire laid the foundations of regulation, liberty, free speech and particular person rights just about all over the place.
However later he delivered a fairly totally different intervention on the topic. In a submit on his Fact Social social media community, which he despatched out later final night time from Windsor Fort, Trump welcomed the information that the ABC has indefinitely suspended the present Jimmy Kimmel Reside! over remarks the comic made in regards to the killing of the far-right commentator and activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump tweet {Photograph}: Fact Social
Amy Sedghi has extra on this story on our US politics reside weblog.
Share
Right here is BBC footage of President Trump’s arrival at Chequers.
SharePresident Trump at Chequers with Keir Starmer and his spouse, Victoria Starmer. {Photograph}: BBCShare
MoD publicizes £1.5bn ‘strategic partnership cope with US tech agency Palantir
The Ministry of Defence has introduced a £1.5bn “strategic partnership” with the American tech firm Palantir.
In a information launch, the MoD says:
[The partnership] will see Palantir make investments as much as £1.5bn to assist make the UK a defence innovation chief and create as much as 350 new jobs, making defence an engine for development.
The brand new partnership, signed right now by defence secretary John Healey, will assist the UK navy develop the most recent digital instruments and harness AI expertise to speed up resolution making, enhance concentrating on and hold the British individuals secure from evolving threats. Palantir has additionally introduced plans for London to develop into the bottom for Palantir’s European defence enterprise, establishing Britain as a hub for defence expertise innovation throughout Europe.
The association may also help the expansion of British Defence Tech firms throughout the availability chain, with Palantir serving to to mentor and develop UK firms. This can embrace serving to British defence start-ups and SMEs to develop into US markets, together with an providing on a professional bono foundation.
John Healey (left) and the CEO of Palantir Applied sciences Alex Karp signing the £1.5bn partnership deal at Wellington Convention Room, Horse Guards, Whitehall, this morning. {Photograph}: Lucy North/PAShareUS and UK flags on show at Chequers for Donald Trump’s go to. {Photograph}: Neil Corridor/EPAShare
Trump arrives at Chequers
Donald Trump has arrived at Chequers.
Donald Trump arrives at Chequers {Photograph}: Sky NewsShare
Donald Trump and his spouse Melania posed for {a photograph} with King Charles and Queen Camilla within the grand grand Inexperienced Hall at Windsor Fort earlier than Trump headed to the PM’s nation residence Chequers, PA Media stories. PA says:
The 4 posed for a joint {photograph} collectively within the atmospheric hall which is lined with gilt edged historic work and vintage furnishings.
Outdoors on the sovereign’s entrance, the Kkng mentioned a solo goodbye with Trump shaking his fingers warmly and inserting his different hand on prime. The president mentioned “thanks very a lot, all people. He’s an important gentleman and an important King”.
The Windsor Fort detachment of The King’s Guard turned out within the Quadrangle exterior to mark Trump’s departure. Though Melania attended the official parting of the way, she is in reality staying behind to hold out joint engagements, first with Camilla, after which the Princess of Wales.
She was becoming a member of the Queen for a tour of Queen Mary’s Doll’s Home and the Royal Library in Windsor Fort.
Donald Trump and first woman Melania Trump with King Charles and Queen Camilla within the Inexperienced Hall at Windsor Fort. {Photograph}: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersShareDonald Trump shaking fingers with King Charles as he left Windsor Fort this morning. {Photograph}: Evan Vucci/APShare
