Welcome to the first of my weekly political roundups! Every week I will try to break down the biggest UK political stories in a simple and easy to understand way.
NHS Waiting Times Still a Major Concern
New data this week showed that NHS waiting lists are still very high, with over 7 million people in England waiting for treatment. The government says they’re working to bring numbers down, but some health experts say progress is too slow. The issue will remain a key talking point through to the next General Election, which leaves us 4 years to remain unimpressed by the failure to “grip” the issue in any meaningful way.
Debate Continues Over Asylum and Immigration
HMG’s impact assessment on the proposed border security, immigration and asylum bill continues to spark debate on the practicality of the range of generally pretty underwhelming proposals to reduce legal and illegal immigration in to the UK. There seems a tinge of regret at not having let the Conservatives get the Rwanda scheme off the ground so that proving or disproving extraterritorial processing might or might not have any significant effect on numbers. For those who like the detail see: Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025 Impact Assessment – all 455 paragraphs over 106 pages amounting to, sadly, not much of anything at all. Call me cynical but until HM Treasury find an alternative lever to pin future UK economic growth on, I suspect that there will be no real alteration in the total immigration numbers, but endless huffing and puffing about how hard the Government are working to reduce total immigration numbers. Phoeeey.
Youth Voter Turnout in the Spotlight
A recent survey found that under-25s are the least likely to be registered to vote. This raises concerns about how engaged young people feel in the political system — and whether enough is being done to encourage them to take part.
Perhaps most importantly…. Donald Trump’s Tariffs!
This week, the The Donald announced a 10% tariff on all imports, including those from the UK as part of a wider effort to protect US industries, but it’s already causing concern here in the United Kingdom and around the world. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he’s ready to support UK businesses, calling the tariffs “a storm we must shelter from.” A list of potential UK counter tariffs has also been drawn up, but the government is still hoping to agree a diplomatic solution.British companies like Jaguar Land Rover have temporarily paused exports to the US and there’s growing concern about how this could affect jobs and trade, especially with the UK economy still recovering after Brexit.
Thanks for reading! If there’s a topic you would like me to cover next week, feel free to leave a comment or email me and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a post.
insta: @theworldofukpolitics
Leave a Reply