Kategori: Politics
VE Day: Party leaders write for Metro on momentous anniversary
VE Day is one of the most significant milestones in Britain’s history.
UK party leaders pay tribute to ‘lion-hearted generation’ for VE Day
The leaders of Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, Reform and the Green Party have written for Metro.
New UK trade deal with India could mean the end of annoying spam texts

A massive new trade deal between the UK and India could bring an end to irritating spam texts from Indian senders, the government has said.
Prices on items like clothes, shoes and frozen prawns could also drop for British shoppers as a result of the new agreement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as a ‘landmark deal’ which will ‘grow the economy and deliver for British people and business’.
It represents the ‘biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal’ for the UK since Brexit, according to the Department of Business and Trade.
The department said the agreement included ‘new commitments’ to ‘help protect consumers from spam texts from India’, which could mean recipients are able to opt out or give prior consent.
India is the world’s most populous country, and among the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Sign up to Metro’s politics newsletter, Alright Gov?
Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sign up here.
The country’s tariffs on whisky and gin from the UK will be slashed from 150% to 75% while the tariffs on cars will fall from more than 100% to 10%.
Cosmetics, aerospace, lamb, medical devices, salmon, electrical machinery, soft drinks, chocolate, and biscuits are among the other British products that will have their Indian tariffs cut.
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The announcement comes after years of negotiations, which took on a new urgency when Donald Trump introduced broad tariffs on imports to the US from every country in the world in April.
The US President also brought in 25% tariffs on car imports, putting significant pressure on the UK’s automotive industry which deals heavily across the Atlantic.
While the lowering of vehicle tariffs in the India agreement may be welcomed by the sector, it is subject to a quota.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘This government’s number one mission is growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change so we can put more money in people’s pockets.
‘By striking a new trade deal with the fastest-growing economy in the world, we are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year and unlocking growth in every corner of the country, from advanced manufacturing in the North East to whisky distilleries in Scotland.
‘In times of global uncertainty, a pragmatic approach to global trade that provides businesses and consumers with stability is more important than ever.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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New UK trade deal with India could mean the end of annoying spam texts

A massive new trade deal between the UK and India could bring an end to irritating spam texts from Indian senders, the government has said.
Prices on items like clothes, shoes and frozen prawns could also drop for British shoppers as a result of the new agreement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as a ‘landmark deal’ which will ‘grow the economy and deliver for British people and business’.
It represents the ‘biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal’ for the UK since Brexit, according to the Department of Business and Trade.
The department said the agreement included ‘new commitments’ to ‘help protect consumers from spam texts from India’, which could mean recipients are able to opt out or give prior consent.
India is the world’s most populous country, and among the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Sign up to Metro’s politics newsletter, Alright Gov?
Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sign up here.
The country’s tariffs on whisky and gin from the UK will be slashed from 150% to 75% while the tariffs on cars will fall from more than 100% to 10%.
Cosmetics, aerospace, lamb, medical devices, salmon, electrical machinery, soft drinks, chocolate, and biscuits are among the other British products that will have their Indian tariffs cut.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Up Next
The announcement comes after years of negotiations, which took on a new urgency when Donald Trump introduced broad tariffs on imports to the US from every country in the world in April.
The US President also brought in 25% tariffs on car imports, putting significant pressure on the UK’s automotive industry which deals heavily across the Atlantic.
While the lowering of vehicle tariffs in the India agreement may be welcomed by the sector, it is subject to a quota.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘This government’s number one mission is growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change so we can put more money in people’s pockets.
‘By striking a new trade deal with the fastest-growing economy in the world, we are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year and unlocking growth in every corner of the country, from advanced manufacturing in the North East to whisky distilleries in Scotland.
‘In times of global uncertainty, a pragmatic approach to global trade that provides businesses and consumers with stability is more important than ever.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
Keir Starmer urged to U-turn on winter fuel cuts after bruising local elections
The winter fuel allowance cuts have proved very unpopular (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Wes Streeting has played down reports the government might be planning to rethink its unpopular cuts to the winter f…
Wes Streeting says Reform’s threat to Labour is just like this iconic 00s movie
‘You don’t really want either of them to win.’
Reform’s local election success could usher in Britain’s sinister far-right future
You can dress it up however you want, but I believe this is simply old fashioned anti-immigration politics.
Here’s what Reform’s local election wins mean for the long term
Will Reform be able to take advantage of its success?
Who is Sarah Pochin? New Reform MP who took Labour seat ‘by a gnat’s knob’
Sarah Pochin has become Reform’s first female MP.
Map shows who won the UK local elections in each area
Find out who is winning the local authority, mayor and parliamentary races after the vote yesterday.
Reform UK win by-election in one of Labour’s safest seats by just six votes
Reform party leader Nigel Farage with his candidate Sarah Pochin (Picture: Reuters)
Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin has emerged victorious in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election after a nail-biting recount.
The constituency was considered…
Map shows which areas of the UK are voting in the 2025 local elections
People in many parts of England are heading to the polls today.
Are the UK local elections happening in my area and how can I vote?
Here’s when you could find out who has won in your area.
When will we know the results of the UK local elections?
Here’s when you could find out who has won in your area.
Map shows which areas of the UK are voting in the 2025 local elections
Many parts of England will be heading to the polls on Thursday.
Map shows which areas of the UK are voting in the 2025 local elections
Many parts of England will be heading to the polls on Thursday.
Full list of drinks that could go up in price with expansion of sugar tax
Many brands lowered their sugar content to just below the 5% threshold after the tax was introduced.
Full list of drinks that could go up in price with expansion of sugar tax
Many brands lowered their sugar content to just below the 5% threshold after the tax was introduced.
Foreign sex offenders to be stopped from claiming refugee status
Jess Phillips told Metro the government will ‘use every tool at our disposal to take predators off our streets’.
Former Wes Streeting aide avoids jail after indecent exposure
Sam Gould, 33, reportedly exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl.
Prescription charges frozen to keep them under a tenner
Patients in England will be charged £9.90 for the coming year, while those who do not have to pay will continue to avoid the costs.
Trans women should be barred from women’s public toilets, new guidance reveals
The court ruled that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the 2010 Equality Act ‘refer to a biological woman and biological sex’.
Dirty-handed water bosses who cover up spills face two years in jail from today
There were 3.6 million hours of sewage spills recorded across England last year, an increase compared to 2023.
Dad of teenager who took her own life ‘dismayed’ by new online safety rules
‘Ofcom’s risk-averse approach is a bitter pill for bereaved parents to swallow.’
UK bans console controllers being shipped for Putin’s forces to pilot drones
The latest round of sanctions would ‘close loopholes exploited by Putin’s cronies’, the Foreign Office said.