Newslinks for Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Trump and Ukraine’s proposed peace deal

“Donald Trump will let Vladimir Putin keep almost all the territory he has seized from Ukraine under the terms of a proposed peace deal. The condition is part of a seven-point plan to end the war that leaves Ukraine with no clear US security guarantee. It will be discussed in London on Wednesday, when US officials will hear Kyiv’s reaction. The proposal involves the US offering formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and implies de facto recognition of other occupied territories. This would mean freezing the current front line, allowing Putin to keep almost all the territory Russia has gained.” – Daily Telegraph

• Ukraine will only hold talks with Russia after ceasefire, Zelensky says – The Times
• Putin ‘offers to HALT frontline invasion of Ukraine’ as Trump’s seven-point peace plan ‘to let Russia keep seized land’ – The Sun
• Sanctioned Russia and Belarusian wood being smuggled into UK, study suggests – The Guardian
• Vladimir Putin offers to halt Ukraine invasion along current front line – Financial Times
• Trump says China tariffs will drop ‘substantially – but it won’t be zero’ – The Guardian

Comment:

• Europe’s opportunity amid Trump’s chaos – The FT view
• Far from making America great again, Trump Slump has caused global chaos – Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
• Allow Trump to address Parliament – or we’ll incur the wrath of his fragile ego – Henry Hill, The i

> Today: Scarlett Maguire: Has Trump given centre-left parties in the Anglosphere a new lease of life?

Badenoch tears apart Labour’s trans u-turn

“Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of peddling a “shameless work of fiction” after the Government claimed it had always supported single-sex spaces for biological women. The Prime Minister was mocked by Kemi Badenoch as Labour said that “there is no change to announce” following last week’s Supreme Court ruling that transgender women were not legally women. Mrs Badenoch, the leader of the Opposition, described the Government’s statement in the House of Commons as a “shameless work of fiction” and said that “I could not believe my eyes or my ears”.” – Daily Telegraph

• What caused Keir Starmer’s U-turn on whether trans women are women? – The Times
• Kemi Badenoch is not for turning, no matter what polls say – The Times Diary

Comment:

• All Tories have left is to say what they think – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
• Bridget looked likely to smash a pint glass in the nearest Hooray Henry’s face – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
• If Starmer had any shame he would have resigned after Supreme Court ruling – Allison Pearson, Daily Telegraph

> Today: The Tories have a need for speed issue

Tory-Reform coalition and Jenrick’s leaked audio

“Robert Jenrick has vowed to “bring this coalition together” to ensure that Conservatives and Reform UK are no longer fighting each other for votes by the time of the next election, according to a leaked recording obtained by Sky News. The shadow justice secretary told an event with students last month he would try “one way or another” to make sure Reform UK and the Tories do not compete at another general election and hand a second term in office to Keir Starmer in the process. In the exclusive audio, Mr Jenrick can be heard telling the students he is still working hard to put Reform UK out of business – the position of the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.” – Sky News

• Jovial Ed Davey targets Tory councils on campaign trail in Devon – The Times
• Extinction-level event’: Tories fear voters turning to Reform in Lincolnshire – The Guardian

Comment:

• Rishi Sunak takes the lead and woos voters in Durham – Matthew Parris, The Times
• Nigel Farage’s bubble could be about to burst – Kitty Donaldson, The i
• Yes, things are going appallingly for Labour… but where are all the Conservatives? – Robert Taylor, Daily Express

Struggling UK industry and economy

“Factory owners will be forced to begin laying off staff within “months” unless Sir Keir Starmer can strike a trade deal with Donald Trump, MPs have been warned. On Tuesday, industry lobby group Make UK said tariffs imposed on foreign imports to the US were hurting demand for British-made products. Without a trade deal, the drop in orders would leave domestic manufacturers with no choice but to start cutting back production and staff numbers, the business and trade select committee was told.” – Daily Telegraph

• Britain’s growth outlook is slashed 0.5% by IMF in fresh blow to Rachel Reeves as she jets off to Washington for crunch talks as Trump’s tariff war tests ‘resilience of global economy’ – Daily Mail
• One-third of Lower Thames Crossing budget spent on planning documents – Financial Times
• ‘Third PM to sell us out’: The risk to Starmer if he fails fishermen in Brexit reset – The i
• Rachel Reeves warned she can’t blame Trump as IMF slashes UK growth forecast – Daily Express

Comment:

• Rachel Reeves has revealed her art of the deal: total capitulation – Annabel Denham, Daily Telegraph
• Rachel Reeves is flying into Trump’s firestorm – and it will cost the UK – Anne McElvoy, The i

Miliband to ban Chinese ‘slave-trade’ solar panels

“Solar panels linked to Chinese slave labour will not be used by Britain’s state-owned energy company after a government climbdown that could threaten its net-zero ambitions. In a major policy reversal, the energy minister Ed Miliband will introduce an amendment to legislation that will force GB Energy to ensure “slavery and human trafficking is not taking place” in its supply chain. All solar panels, wind turbines and batteries must not contain materials suspected to have been produced through slave labour. Much of the world’s supply of polysilicon comes from the Xinjiang region, where there are suspected human rights abuses of the Uighur population.” – The Times

Comment:

• Net zero crusader Ed Miliband is taking us all for fools… and ignoring REAL reason Britain’s energy bills are so high – Ross Clark, The Sun

> Yesterday: Luke Tryl: The outcome of the next election may depend on keeping the furnaces burning

News in brief:

• Social care funding is broken – Henry Hill, The Spectator
• Free breakfast clubs are an admission the system has failed working parents – Alys Denby, City AM
• Inside the Chaotic Map of Doom – Rachel Cunliffe, New Statesman
• Reform is coming for Labour in Runcorn – Cormac Kehoe, Prospect
• Starmer’s EU defence deal is a boost to British Army – Henry Hill, Unherd