Can the UK get a deal to avoid tariffs? Not even Trump's people know his mind
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There’s only one person who knows if a deal on trade can be done and that’s the US president Donald Trump, says ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston.
What is being negotiated has nothing to do with the 25% tariffs on cars - what the British government and, indeed, every trading partner had been expecting was that on April 2, the president would decide how on each of those countries who were, in his view, discriminating against America and he was going to calculate the appropriate tariff on all of our exports.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has invested a lot of time trying to get close to the president. There are negotiations on tech, on agriculture, other important sectors.
And then on Wednesday, everyone was hit across the head by an enormous fish; out of nowhere, the American president deciding to impose this 25% tariff on automobiles.
To be clear, it wasn’t just our negotiators surprised, the American side did not see it coming.
Talks are ongoing intensively - they will continue this weekend. Our negotiators think they are going well.
But both them and the American negotiators say, in the end, Donald Trump will decide what he wants to do and nobody knows his mind.
It’s been a significant week for the UK with the chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement trying to reset the economy. You can catch up with the events on ITV News, including:
Exclusive: Mums of women who died by suicide after domestic abuse call for change
Jessie Laverack. Kiena Dawes. Chloe Holland. Three women abused by their partners. Three women eventually driven to suicide.
“The perpetrators are to blame, but the professionals let them down,” Jessie’s mother, Phyllis Daly, tells ITV News’ Rachel Townsend.
Each of their stories are traumatic. In each case, the authorities had been made aware of claims of abuse.
The mums met Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women - you can see how that meeting played out on ITVX.
Brianna Ghey: New footage shows web of lies spun by her killers
The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey said she does not believe social media companies would put “lives before profit”.
Esther Ghey was speaking at the screening of a new ITV documentary, Brianna: A Mother’s Story, which explores the death of Brianna, 16, who was murdered by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe.
The Tonight documentary shows for the first time clips from the police interviews from the teen killers.
Swiss clinic helps another Briton to die in secret
In January this year, 51-year-old Anne - whose surname we aren’t disclosing - travelled from Wales to the Pegasos clinic near Basel to end her life in secret.
Last year, ITV News exposed how Pegasos also helped 47-year-old Alistair Hamilton to die without telling his family.
Like Alistair, Anne had no known terminal illness and her family believed she was going to Switzerland on holiday.
UK Editor Paul Brand investigates…
The impact of Trump's aid cuts on those who need it most
Donald Trump’s decision to freeze US aid cash on projects around the world is already being felt by those who need help the most.
It meant that overnight people working for USAID were forced to down tools and cease operations.
ITV News Asia Correspondent Debi Edward travelled to the Myanmar-Thailand border to see how the funding cuts are impacting refugees there. Watch Debi’s report on our YouTube channel.
Our latest Talking Politics USA podcast is available now - among other things, the team discuss why Trump is reportedly so vexed by a new portrait…
From teacher to campaigner: Big Manny speaks to The Rundown
Science educator, content creator, and music artist. Big Manny has come a long way in a short space of time.
From posting fun, experiment-filled videos on TikTok during lockdown, he’s now using his platform to promote wider messaging around knife crime and vaping.
Big Manny spoke to The Rundown’s Daniel Ajose about what makes science so important and what comes next - watch the interview on our YouTube channel and look out for more Rundown content on TikTok.
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Families 'left in dark' over major review of suspended surgeon's patients
Patients' families have told ITV News Anglia they feel they have been left in the dark by a leading hospital as it carries out a major review of the work of a now-suspended orthopaedic surgeon.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge last month revealed that nine children had experienced “lower than expected quality of care” while being treated by an unnamed surgeon, who was suspended last year having been put on reduced duties as a precaution.
This week, the hospital said the treatment of a further 800 patients would be reviewed by a panel of experts.
ITV News Anglia’s Neil Barbour met the family of 12-year-old Tammy Harrison who underwent hip surgery - watch his report on ITVX.
‘We have to have hope’: Honouring Ben Kinsella's legacy through art
It's been 17 years since 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in north London. His sister Brooke says she has to "have hope" in the fight to end knife crime.
This week, ITV News London’s Ronke Phillips met Brooke at an art gallery where some of Ben’s GCSE artworks have gone on display.
"One of the last things he did was this bird symbol. Throughout history, the bird has been a sign of hope and peace, and that’s what we try to do as a trust in his name - create peace for young people and give hope that we can make a difference.”
Watch Ronke’s extended interview on ITVX.
What’s coming up…
Sunday March 30: British Summer Time begins - the clocks move forward one hour at 2am
Tuesday April 1: The minimum wage will rise by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour for those aged 21 and over, while the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will increase by £1.40 to £10 an hour
Tuesday April 1: Electric cars lose exemption from vehicle excise duty. Drivers of electric vehicles need to pay vehicle excise duty for the first time
Wednesday April 2: Mark Chavez, a doctor from San Diego, will be sentenced in Los Angeles after he formally admitted conspiring to distribute the surgical anaesthetic ketamine following the death of Friends star Matthew Perry
And finally… New start for the woman who’s spent most of her life lying down
Melanie Hartshorn has a rare genetic conditions called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which means the tissue connecting her joints are weak and 'hyper flexible'.
It’s meant the 34-year-old has spent most of her life lying down, or living in a ‘medical halo’.
But following surgery in Spain last year, things are finally looking up - ITV News Tyne Tees caught up with Melanie to see what progress she’s making…