Vice President JD Vance’s comments that a UK-US trade deal is on the table and both countries are working hard to secure a deal make several newspaper headlines, as does the latest from the US tariffs amid claims that new tariffs (on pharmaceuticals and big tech) are to come into effect ‘soon.’
The business newspapers are focused on the tariffs and the effects on businesses and the stock markets.
UK-US trade deal on the table as all eyes back on tariffs
Starmer’s EU reset risks US trade deal
Explainer: The headline uses loaded language like “risks” to imply danger or recklessness, framing Starmer’s actions negatively. It suggests a zero-sum scenario between EU relations and a US trade deal, oversimplifying complex diplomacy to create tension and drama.
- The Daily Telegraph reports that the prime minister is nearing a new trade partnership with the European Union that could “put a trade deal with the White House at risk”.
Race to stop Trump tariffs hitting British medicine industry
Explainer: The headline employs urgency with the phrase “race to stop,” creating a sense of panic or time pressure. It dramatises potential consequences by focusing on the British medicine industry, invoking national concern. This tactic heightens reader interest by framing the issue as both imminent and high-stakes.
- The Times says the UK government officials and pharmaceutical bosses are scrambling to stop Donald Trump putting tariffs on medicines “that would harm a multi-billion pound British industry”. Trump has said the tariff on foreign drugs will come into effect soon.
Trump trade war could challenge US credibility, says Jamie Dimon
Explainer: The headline uses the phrase “trade war” to evoke conflict and drama, while “challenge US credibility” introduces a high-stakes consequence. Quoting a high-profile figure like Jamie Dimon lends authority, but also amplifies the alarm, drawing readers in with the weight of his opinion.
- The FT – like other business papers – are keeping an eye on global stock markets following the chaos since the Liberation Day tariffs were announced. The paper carries an interview with JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon, who says the retaliatory trade war could put US credibility at risk. He tells the paper that Washington and Beijing should engage as tariffs escalate.
Starmer told UK must repeal hate speech laws to protect LGBT+ people or lose Trump trade deal
Explainer: The headline uses a dramatic ultimatum—”must repeal… or lose Trump trade deal”—to create a sense of urgency and pressure. It frames the issue as a binary choice, oversimplifying complex legal and diplomatic matters. The mention of LGBT+ rights adds emotional weight, appealing to readers’ values and stirring debate.
- The Independent reports on the vice president’s comments that the UK has a good chance of a trade agreement, but sources say his obsession with Britain’s hate speech laws is ‘still a red line’ and that Labour ‘must repeal online protections for LGBT+ and other minorities’.
