Alex Wickham

New: Reeves announces winter fuel u-turn Pensioners with income <£35,000 will get it this year That’s 3 in 4 pensioners, 9m people 2m with income >£35k will lose it via PAYE/self-assessment Treasury says change costs £1.25b But saves £450m compared to universal payments

Your essential spending review preview by @PhilAldrick. Labour’s big worry is no one will feel their £300bn splurge because it’ll largely go on reversing the Tories’ fiscal fiction cuts >>>

Philip Aldrick @PhilAldrick

Why Spending Review austerity talk when public services are getting £300bn more this parliament? Cos its not a top-up, it's to prevent an inherited plan for deep cuts (the fiscal fiction). Ex-OBR Andy King says £300bn is the “cost of ending implausible.” https://t.co/s2fO2r5DiY https://t.co/SlMy7uO0CH

RT @josh_wingrove: Musk has now retweeted a call to impeach Trump and replace him with Vance: https://t.co/7R7Fg5dSqt

RT @annmarie: TRUMP: EASIEST WAY TO SAVE MONEY IS TO END MUSK'S CONTRACTS https://t.co/D1d0Pr84n2

Trump said last night that he thinks Putin agrees with him that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons. The reality, as per this story last year, is that the US and UK privately know Russia is sharing nuclear secrets and tech with Iran potentially helping it get nukes.

Alex Wickham @alexwickham

NEW: The US and UK are increasingly concerned that Russia is sharing with Iran secret information and technology that could bring it closer to being able to build nuclear weapons, according to Western officials familiar with the matter https://t.co/r4xV9O7Ksv

NATO chief Mark Rutte coming to London on Monday to discuss this with Keir Starmer:

Alex Wickham @alexwickham

Exclusive with @EllenAMilligan @Joe_Mayes — Keir Starmer is considering a request by the MoD to back NATO’s proposed new spending target of 3.5% of GDP by 2032, plus 1.5% on defence-related outlay. — Discussions between Downing Street and the MoD about how to handle the

Trump says he’s just spoken to Putin Says Putin told him he will respond ‘very strongly’ to Ukraine’s planes attack Says it was a “good conversation”……… https://t.co/Eo47Dd02hK

Top story here - US makes clear it won’t provide an air cover backstop in Ukraine. Maybe moot as no ceasefire on the cards at the moment, and perhaps this always looked inevitable. But UK/French efforts to get a US backstop are now seen as failed.

Ellen Milligan @EllenAMilligan

Scoop: The US is refusing to provide air defenses to back the UK/French reassurance force Europe has downgraded expectation of US security guarantees despite saying they were essential to deter Russia. Trump will merely offer border surveillance + intel https://t.co/ffxRXKjAj9

RT @EllenAMilligan: Scoop: The US is refusing to provide air defenses to back the UK/French reassurance force Europe has downgraded expect…

Keir Starmer says he is “very confident” the UK will get steel tariffs down to zero “within a very short time.” Suggests it’ll happen “in a couple of weeks”

Alex Wickham @alexwickham

Trump is now threatening to hit the UK with full 50% steel tariffs if he decides it isn’t complying with last month’s ‘deal’ 5 week deadline imposed by the US to get an actual agreement, as Britain’s understanding it had secured zero tariffs proves wrong https://t.co/Suwba8fSMY

RT @John_ForemanCBE: @alexwickham @EllenAMilligan A great piece from a different angle to many this week.

If you have 5 minutes today recommend this brilliant free-to-read feature on Britain’s defence crisis by @EllenAMilligan >>>

Ellen Milligan @EllenAMilligan

Years of underinvestment, botched contracts and poor recruitment have hollowed out what was once a military superpower, forcing the UK to confront the hard reality of rebuilding its defences. Mine and @chepker’s big paywall-free feature is out today: https://t.co/Dqqlqa2PzG

RT @AlexJFMorales: Great look at the state of the UK defence industry by @EllenAMilligan: The UK is playing catch-up in an industry it once…

Trump is now threatening to hit the UK with full 50% steel tariffs if he decides it isn’t complying with last month’s ‘deal’ 5 week deadline imposed by the US to get an actual agreement, as Britain’s understanding it had secured zero tariffs proves wrong https://t.co/Suwba8fSMY

RT @EllenAMilligan: Years of underinvestment, botched contracts and poor recruitment have hollowed out what was once a military superpower,…

The more optimistic view from UK govt is that this is a reprieve from the full whack 50% tariffs and that talks will continue to get the 25% down to zero as soon as possible

Alex Wickham @alexwickham

The UK government said publicly after signing the ‘deal’ with Trump last month: “The UK steel industry will no longer face tariffs thanks to today’s deal. The Prime Minister negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero.” It appears tonight that Trump has reneged on the agreement

The UK government said publicly after signing the ‘deal’ with Trump last month: “The UK steel industry will no longer face tariffs thanks to today’s deal. The Prime Minister negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero.” It appears tonight that Trump has reneged on the agreement

Alex Wickham @alexwickham

NEW: The White House says US tariffs on UK steel and aluminium will remain at 25% for now The UK has failed to get the 0% tariffs promised in the US ‘deal’ last month implemented in time for tomorrow Still, all other countries will be hit by 50% tariffs So everyone’s a loser