Author: Blake Anderson

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldGermany will boost defence spending by more than two-thirds by 2029, outpacing France and the UK as Chancellor Friedrich Merz drives a massive rearmament of Europe’s largest country in the face of an aggressive Russia and a volatile America.German military expenditure is projected to reach €162bn in 2029, up from €95bn this year, according to budget plans seen by the Financial Times which are due to be presented by finance minister Lars Klingbeil on Tuesday. The amount includes about €8.5bn…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldSir Keir Starmer will pledge to Nato that the UK will raise spending on national security to 5 per cent of GDP within a decade, as members attempt to convince US President Donald Trump to stick with the alliance.The pledge would raise core defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035, with an additional 1.5 per cent on security related infrastructure such as cyber security and border protection. The UK prime minister had already pledged to raise defence…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK government has declared its industrial strategy “critical” to its overall growth mission. In the long-awaited, and delayed, plan, Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has thrown its weight behind eight sectors that it expects to deliver faster growth and higher pay for British workers. The main focus of the strategy focuses on cutting Britain’s burdensome electricity prices for manufacturers. However, energy-intensive businesses must go through a two-year consultation period to determine whether they are eligible for new subsidies. Even then prices will…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Rules intended to restrict foreign takeovers of security-sensitive British companies are to be rewritten as part of a wider attempt to boost conditions for businesses. Under the industrial strategy announced on Monday, ministers announced a review to make the UK’s investment scrutiny rules more “predictable and proportionate” for companies. The National Security and Investment Act, or NSIA, was drawn up to provide a mechanism for officials to scrutinise — and ultimately block — takeovers of British companies and assets from foreign states…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.A national investigation has been launched into NHS maternity care in England following a series of damning reports.The 10 “worst performing” maternity and neonatal units will be “urgently” examined under the first part of the review, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday. Government officials said that NHS England chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, and chief nursing officer, Duncan Burton, will within the next month meet the trusts of greatest concern, including Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The government has moved to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, making membership of the pro-Palestinian campaign group a criminal offence after two of its activists broke into a UK air base last week.If approved by parliament, the designation would place the group on a level with Hamas, al-Qaeda or Isis under British law, making it illegal to become a member of the organisation, or to attend its meetings or rallies. UK home secretary Yvette Cooper said the ban on Palestinian…

This article is an on-site version of our Trade Secrets newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every Monday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersFor a second week running I’m going to avoid talking about Donald Trump as the first subject in this newsletter, not least because he’s been too busy bombing Iran to go off on any new tangents on trade. Obviously, if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, the implications for oil prices and the global economy could be enormous. But absent that, the conflict is just…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The rise in average prices charged by UK businesses was the slowest in more than four years in June, as companies continued to shed jobs and economic activity remained subdued, according to a closely watched survey.The S&P Global flash UK PMI index of monthly growth of price charged by businesses fell to 53.2 in June, from 55.4 in the previous month, the lowest since January 2021. The latest reading was well below a peak of nearly 70 registered in 2022 and was…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.For a pool partyThe Berkeley Rooftop BarThe rooftop pool terrace at The Berkeley Where: Seventh floor, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1Click: the-berkeley.co.ukThe hotel’s glamorous rooftop pool terrace, usually reserved for guests, channels a taste of the Italian Riviera in London, and is open to everyone for evening drinks and dining throughout the summer months. Lounge around the pool or book a table to dine from the Italian menu. The rooftop’s pizza oven has three offerings: lobster with marinated peppers, parma ham with rocket…

This article is an on-site version of our Inside Politics newsletter. Subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday. If you’re not a subscriber, you can still receive the newsletter free for 30 daysGood morning. The US bombing of Iran is a major gamble by Donald Trump — and he’s not the only politician who might be worse off as a result. Some brief thoughts on the British implications in today’s note. Inside Politics is edited by Georgina Quach. Follow Stephen on Bluesky and X, and Georgina on Bluesky. Read the previous edition of the newsletter…