13 h. ago Voices: Poll of the day: Do you still believe in the UK–US ‘special relationship’?

Have your say: Is the UK–US “special relationship” still alive, or has Trump’s trade war and shifting global politics turned it into a thing of the past?

Politics

38 h. ago Voices: Poll of the day: Should how much you pay for energy depend on where you live?

Have your say: Should your postcode decide your power bill? A new government plan could mean cheaper energy up north, and higher costs down south

Politics

9 d. ago UK officials label trade documents ‘secret’ to shield from US eyes amid Trump tariff war

Exclusive: civil servants beef up security rules for sensitive negotiating papers over fears posed by hostile US trade policyUK officials are tightening security when handling sensitive trade documents to prevent them from falling into US hands amid Donald Trump’s tariff war, the Guardian can reveal.In an indication of the strains on the “special relationship”, British civil servants have changed document-handling guidance, adding higher classifications to some trade negotiation documents in order to better shield them from American eyes, sources told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago I’m a comedian – this is why Saturday Night Live’s jokes about Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth didn’t work | Athena Kugblenu

There’s funny, there’s mean, and there’s mean and funny. But unfunny and mean will always die a deathIn these partisan times, when all is binary and everyone must pick a side, I have chosen mine. Aimee Lou Wood, she of The White Lotus and thus now instantly recognisable worldwide, is absolutely right to call out Saturday Night Live, the legendary US entertainment and satire show, for making jokes about her teeth. The special relationship is under enough strain without having to lean into old stereotypes about British gnashers. I am still reeling from the Big Book of British Smiles gag in The Simpsons and I continue to floss every day because of it.The SNL joke, if you are yet to see it, is part of a wider sketch making fun of the Trump administration. (Because if one thing has been proven to quell the march of the right, it’s parody.) A White Lotus character is mashed up with someone adjacent to Robert F Kennedy, he mentions fluoride, and a Wood-esque character says “What’s that?”At...

Politics

1 week ago Trump hits Special Relationship: Brits see themselves as having more in common with the FRENCH than Americans

Some 34 per cent of Brits view the US as more of a threat than an ally - up from just 16 per cent at the time of the presidential election last November.

Politics

2 w. ago Keir Starmer urged to channel Hugh Grant's Love Actually PM and stand up to Trump as world braces for more turmoil

In Love Actually, Grant's PM turns on an arrogant US president during a press conference to say the so-called special relationship has become 'a bad relationship'.

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer is right to try to maintain the dignity of the nation – and avoid provoking Trump’s irrational side

Editorial: Balancing Britain’s interests with nurturing the US-UK special relationship is going to require every ounce of clearheadedness the prime minister can muster

Politics

3 w. ago Vicky Pattison in tears over 'vulnerable' moment with alcoholic father

Warm and always wearing her heart on her sleeve, Vicky Pattison opens up about her difficult but also special relationship with her alcoholic father - and the important lessons he has taught her

Politics

3 w. ago Art can help remind US and Europe of special relationship, says director of reopening Frick Collection

After a $220m five-year renovation, the New York museum is set to showcase a trove of European masterpieces Can masterpieces of European art help smooth over the fissures between the old world and the new? It’s a hope, say officials at the Frick Collection in New York, which reopens next month after a five-year, $220m (£170m) renovation.Axel Rüger, the director of the museum, which began with a trove of European masterpieces including Rembrandt and Vermeer, hopes that its art could be a reminder of US-European ties in these turbulent political times. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Britain has been paying a high price for Uncle Sam’s craziness. It’s time to turn to Europe | Simon Tisdall | Simon Tisdall

In his final column, the Observer’s foreign affairs commentator says America under Trump is not the first time it has caused trouble for alliesAmerica spells trouble for Britain. That’s undoubtedly true in the age of Trump – but maybe it’s always been so. The White House’s undisguised contempt for loyal allies in the UK and Europe necessitates a robust reciprocal rethink. How healthy – and desirable – is this partnership? Has it caused more problems than it’s worth?Those, myself included, who throughout their professional lives have taken close transatlantic ties for granted, face some awkward questions. Is the US-UK “special relationship” an embarrassment, even a strategic liability? Today’s America is evidently not a trustworthy, disinterested friend. Was it ever? Continue reading...

Economics