Trump administration begins refunding more than $166bn in tariffs Claims system launches months after supreme court ruled Trump had no legal authority to impose tariffs

Hey, and here was I believing President Trump when he said that all these tariffs were being paid by foreigners. Gosh, he must have been wrong about that. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

That the US/Iran talks ended without an agreement is not surprising. If you send a VP who has never negotiated anything in his life, along with two estate agents, as your negotiating team, what do you expect?

Trump has always worked to the "madman" theory of negotiations - behave in an unpredictable and irrational fashion, and the other side will fold. But what happens to this theory when the other side also acts in the same way? Iran is not folding, and Trump is reduced to tantrums.

Scribblings Brexit Wars: A New Beginning?

In this week’s Scribblings I come back to one of my favourite topics, Brexit. Some of you might note the Star Wars reference in the title. But let it be said that the current Labour leadership are no Jedi.

hayest.substack.com/p/scribbling...

If I recall properly, the Strait was wide open to shipping before the US attacked without consulting anyone other then the Israelis. The US broke it and is now demanding that others fix it. "Nothing to do with me, guv" seems to be the approach.

Keir Starmer signals major UK pivot towards EU after Donald Trump’s taunts British prime minister says closer ties between London and Brussels are ‘in our long-term national interest’

I think it is fair to say that Starmer can pivot all he wants, but as long as he keeps his "3 Nos" he is not going to get far.

Why would existing members of the EU let the UK pick n' mix the bits of the EU they like while rejecting the rest? They won't.

www.ft.com/content/9f3d...

True. I suppose you could call it "The Art of the Lose".

You go to war to weaken an opponent and end up leaving them stronger and with a chokehold on the global economy. Some victory. The madman theory of victory.

Scribblings Back to Iran

This week, more comments on the Iranian war from the perspective of labour negotiations.

hayest.substack.com/p/scribbling...

How long before he announced that he has ordered that he be carved into Mount Rushmore? After all, as he sees it, he is the greatest president ever. Better than all the rest. Better than anyone.

Trump extends deadline for Iran to open strait of Hormuz by 10 days President claims talks with Tehran regime are ‘going very well’ and says he is pausing ‘Energy Plant destruction’

TACO on speed. So much so that the chicken has become a turkey. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Have you seen this?

IRAN'S FARS NEWS AGENCY CITING SOURCE SAYS THERE ARE NO DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH U.S. NOR THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES

Would a news agency in Iran be saying this without government permission? Or is it all a game of bluff and double bluff?

So, who is Trump, or whoever is acting on his behalf, having "great talks" with? Maybe he could tell us.

Who could have guessed? But has he told the Israelis? Will they stop on his command?

TACO?

Keir Starmer to bring forward EU rules legislation in King’s Speech Some Labour officials hope bill will provoke Brexit dispute with Tories and Reform UK

Lord David Frost said: “The new bill will sideline democratic UK lawmakers by making a whole range of EU laws applicable in Britain without us getting any say in them. That’s not alignment, it’s subordination.”

Who elected Lord Frost to be a UK lawmaker?

www.ft.com/content/b031...

Scribblings Thoughts following St. Patrick’s Day

What better time than the week of St. Patrick’s Day to reflect a little on nationalism and the future of Ireland and the UK, not to mention some references to other European countries.

hayest.substack.com/p/scribbling...

‘Swiss cheese’ Brexit will be a nightmare on repeat Events are pushing Britain and the EU together. But it’s a painful process

This seems to me to be a somewhat overoptimistic analysis of potential developments and the speed at which they can move. Further, the idea that the UK can negotiate its way around free movement is a non-starter. The possibility of a Reform gov darkens everything.

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

I do not disagree. I know the issue is complex, but there is only so much you can say in a post. I know we all combine the market and the polity. I think continentals lean more heavily in the opposite direction to Anglo-Saxons, more state than market. Evident in my own field of labour relations.

I think the issue is this. Anglo-Saxons primarily see the world as a market. Continental Europeans see the world as a "social polity", in which money is not the only mark of value. The reasons for these differences are rooted in history, religion, culture, and economic models. A clash of views.

Pressure grows on Starmer to drop EU ‘red lines’ Some senior Labour figures want the party to drop promises not to rejoin customs union or single market

Starmer will not do this because he is in hock to English nationalism. www.ft.com/content/6a67...

The UK must accept it is no longer a global power Starmer has failed to level with the public that Britain’s control over its destiny is limited

When you once ruled the world, it is difficult to accept that you are now just part of the crowd. One of the reasons the UK voted to leave the EU. The psychology of "exceptionalism" takes a long time to die. It is hard when you discover that you are not exceptional.
www.ft.com/content/8789...

Trump's Iran war adds urgency to UK-EU Brexit reset | Euractiv That Brexit is a disaster is no longer in doubt, what comes next is

Simon gets it right in this column. The UK needs the EU to help kickstart growth in the economy. But the current government appears to believe that it cannot move too far in that direction because of rampant English nationalism. It should find some backbone. Fast.

www.euractiv.com/opinion/trum...

If this is true, probably many of those who will not have have the necessary documents will be MAGA supporters. How will they react if they are turned away from voting? Don't assume that this measure will only hit home in Blue states.

Here is a question. What is the Secretary of State for Culture doing about this. Does she actually exist? She is like the Yeti. The Yeti is said to exist, but no one every sees it. A mythical creature. Can anyone actually name the Culture Secretary?

UK fights to keep selling more potent cannabis products in EU ‘reset’ talks British food and drinks supplements can contain 10mg of marijuana or hemp-derived CBD, five times Europe’s daily limit

"No dope, no hope" in EU/UK talks. The UK wants to "keep on the grass, man". www.ft.com/content/3fc2...

Clearly, he is speaking from first-hand experience of ground combat in Vietnam that he saw in movies, as he wasn't there himself.

Anyone who thinks that the EU is going to give the UK SM access so that a few students can go to the UK is deluded.

Britain ready to explore EU tuition fee cut as part of Brexit reset UK officials say move would require ‘very big’ offer from Brussels as Rachel Reeves seeks deeper ties

Does anyone seriously think that EU member states, whatever about some people in the Commission, are going to go down this British road? It is just not going to happen. www.ft.com/content/0605...

Closer ties with EU become the ‘biggest prize’ for chance... In a speech this week, Rachel Reeves will stress the importance of economic cooperation as war in Iran increases the appetite for new deals on defence

Things never change. The UK wants to be in and out of the EU at the same time. Do UK politicians never learn? Why would EU member states agree to any such scheme? observer.co.uk/news/nationa...