In the week that saw Donald Trump reign victorious over Kamala Harris, winning the American Presidential election by an unexpected landslide, here is your weekend wire.

Trump triumphs

As Britain awoke on Wednesday morning to the dreaded news that Donald Trump had won the U.S. election, there was an all too familiar feeling of despair, horror and anxiety for those who uphold the importance of human rights, the rule of law and the rules-based international system, among other things.

Becoming the first Republican to win the popular vote since George Bush Jr in 2004, the results provide sombre food for thought regarding the state of the Democrat party specifically and the state of American politics as a whole. Particularly surprising was: 

1. The support for Trump amongst young men but also amongst women, who Kamala was relying on to take her across the line.
2. The support for Trump amongst the Latino community, long understood to be a reliable voting block for the Democrats.

But ultimately, we must remember that while this might not be the result many of us wanted, this is democracy in action and the best thing to do now is accept it and try to understand how it happened. Because the truth remains that too many American voters felt as though Kamala Harris, and the Democratic party, did not understand nor represent their interests. Indeed, much of the election debate was dominated by voters stating that they felt poorer under the Democrats thanks to rampant inflation which began in 2021. 

For us here in the UK, we must remain defiant. Now is not the time to withdraw from politics but to be more proactive than ever. Trump’s victory is likely to not just embolden authoritarians around the world like Putin, but encourage the hard-right in the UK and we have a duty to stand up to it.

UK-EU relations must be deepened

For the UK and Europe, the next step must be to form closer and deeper relations in the following crucial areas:

1. Security - With America no-longer a reliable ally or guarantor of international security, and with war raging on our door-step in Ukraine, the UK must continue to build stronger security and defence ties with Europe. 
2. Trade - With tariffs of up to 20% likely to be applied on all British and European goods, the trade barriers with our largest and closest market in the EU must be broken down. 
3. Environment - With climate legislation on the deregulatory chopping block under Trump, it is time for alignment and a united voice from the UK and the EU on measures to address climate change.

A Trump presidency offers a unique opportunity for the UK-EU relationship to be reforged for the mutual benefit of both partners and for our continent.

Both the UK and EU must learn lessons from the failure of the Democrats to adequately address the concerns of the disenchanted citizens of America. In particular, the UK Government must ensure that their economic policy actually delivers tangible growth to the poorest portions of society. One of the best ways to do this is through beneficial alignment with the EU on standards and regulations as recommended by the UK Trade and Business Commission.  Poverty breeds populism and Reform UK has targeted (and been successful) in some of the most destitute areas of the UK.

Hungary for more diplomacy

Keir Starmer travelled to Budapest this week to meet with an array of European leaders at the European Political Community summit. In attendance were major European leaders such as Macron and Scholz - although following the collapse of his Government this week, the German Chancellor’s visit was much briefer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also made an appearance, giving Starmer the opportunity to emphasise  Britain’s ‘iron-clad’ support for the nation. 

The summit was hosted by Trump fanboy Victor Orban; the first European leader to congratulate the President-elect earlier this week. Orban, who is close to both Putin and Trump, looks to be an increasingly important player on the global stage and will likely feel empowered by recent developments. This is particularly worrying in the context of EU aid to Ukraine, which Orban has made attempts to stymie.

Is it Badeno-ugh yet?

From one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime to what seems like one of the least, Kemi Badenoch has beaten Robert Jenrick to become the fourth Tory leader in just over two years. The Conservatives are going through managers quicker than Manchester United at the moment! No small feat. 

Regardless of any disagreements we have with Badenoch as a politician, one must recognise the huge significance of her achievement; not only becoming the first black leader of a major British political party but also becoming the first black female leader. 

New leader new decor

As always, a new leader means a new (shadow) cabinet! The  highlights are;

1. Bobby J (Robert Jenrick)  has (rather ironically) been dumped into Justice. Expect some further complaining about the ECHR.
2. Mel Stride has become the shadow Chancellor in a move that most see as Badenoch appeasing the One Nation element of the party.
3. Priti Patel has become the shadow Foreign Sec after being forced to resign in acrimony on two occasions.
4. Chris Philip has become the shadow Home Sec. Let’s just hope he has touched up on his geography skills….
5. Everyone's favourite angry man, former ‘Brexit Spartan’ and the utiliser of racist language Mark Francois has been made shadow Defense Sec.

In other appointments there has been a flurry of quite substantial conflicts of interest: Kevin Hollinrake (Housing) previously founded an estate agency, Victoria Atkins’ (DEFRA) husband runs a cannabis farm and Claire Coutinho (Energy) has been linked to an oil funded group that targets climate protesters.

In fairness to the new Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition, she doesn't have many MP’s to choose from…

Auf Lindner-sehen

As mentioned earlier, Starmer ally Olaf Scohlz’s government broke down this week in Germany amidst arguments surrounding both the country's budget and direction. 

The coalition between the SDP, Greens and Free Democrats collapsed on Wednesday evening after Scholz fired Free Democrat Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Brace yourself for elections in early March and the potential march of the far-right AfD…oh joy.

Brexit Corner

The obvious news in a slightly downbeat Brexit corner is that an isolationist and protectionist America under Trump exacerbates the consequences of the UK’s damaging decision to leave the EU. Right now we are looking pretty lonely.

Additionally, the post-Brexit border scheme to simplify trade was delayed once again this week by the Government. The Single Trade Window would create a single digital platform to allow businesses to upload importation and exportation documentation more seamlessly before transportation.

And if that wasn’t all bad enough, it was reported this week that Brexit is pushing up the cost of festive foliage…I wonder if Santa will be nervous about Trump tariffs on the North Pole next year…

Interst-ing news

The Bank of England announced cuts to their base interest rate this week from 5% to 4.75% following a Monetary Policy Committee vote. In America, the Federal Reserve followed suit cutting interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%.

🫣 Cringe Column 😬

Tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday, a moment for quiet reflection to honour the sacrifices made by men and women in conflicts across the globe. It is also a time to applaud the work that the Royal British Legion do in supporting veterans. 

Have a wonderful weekend, be kind to yourself and rest after a stressful week. Talk to you this time next week.

Joshua Edwicker
Best for Britain