Fantastic news that Chile 🇨🇱 has ratified UK 🇬🇧 accession to #CPTPP !

🇬🇧 🇨🇱 trade is worth almost £2bn and we hope to boost 📈 this even more.

Another sign of our important relationship - Chile was the first country to sign a continuity agreement with us after leaving the EU.

Two years on from his arrest on fabricated charges, Vladimir Kara-Murza remains in prison in appalling conditions, at the hands of a regime determined to silence him and everything he stands for.

The UK will not rest in our efforts to secure his release.

2 years ago Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested for opposing Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The deliberately harmful prison conditions imposed by the Russian authorities are threatening his life.

Russia should release him immediately on humanitarian grounds. #FreeKaraMurza

My Trade Secrets today. Australia’s defiance of Chinese trade coercion isn’t just about smart exporters.

It’s also a consensus among Aussie politicians and public about trade & preventing Beijing playing divide and rule. Brussels & Washington take note.

on.ft.com/3QbZejB

Gold is trading at another record high this morning, consistent with the market’s’ main takeaway from yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting — that is, the world’s most powerful central bank seems willing to tolerate higher inflation for longer.
#economy #centralbanks #markets #gold

Our head coach Kevin Rudd with Dominic Raab, Chris Bryde (@StMarys_RL) and Piers Anthony (@BrunelRL) before presenting to the APPG Rugby League ahead of today's historic Wheelchair #RugbyLeague varsity game.

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C

📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024

A salutary lesson in one of the greatest economic and geopolitical challenges the West now faces.

How China crushed the West in the race to power electric cars telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/…

Plenty of negative comments on the #Budget in the papers today (incl. some from me!), so here are the positives...

1️⃣ right to focus on cutting NI and promise to do more here (overall tax burden still rising but at slower pace, and gradually rebalancing away from a tax on work)

ICYMI, final UK composite #PMI revised down a touch to 53.0 in February (flash 53.3) but this is still consistent with a return to growth 👍

Euro area index recovering too, albeit still relatively weak (held back by France, 48.1, and especially Germany, just 46.3).

Press…

Schroders Global Cities Index ranks London as the best City in Europe to invest in.

For the first time ever, Manchester moves into the Top 30 worldwide.

The whole of the #EU had 2 cities, the same as poor old #Brexit Britain. 😉

thisismoney.co.uk/money/investin…

“Claims that Britain's trade deal with Australia would be damaging to the UK economy have been shattered after the first set of figures revealed huge gains in exports.”

Including my welcome for the big boost in trade with Australia. 🇦🇺 express.co.uk/news/politics/…

Today's Times runs a piece from me about my recent FOIs and the massive variation in migrants' economic
outcomes:
thetimes.co.uk/article/lets-s…

We’ll never achieve net zero if we don’t build a MASSIVE amount of green energy infrastructure.
Building that infrastructure means mining untold amounts of copper, lithium, iron etc. But mining is getting harder & harder, as The Economist underlines: economist.com/leaders/2024/0…

A lovely morning at one of our schools, who were delighted that Dominic Raab had helped them petition successfully for a zebra crossing outside the gates.

Great and productive time this morning with Dominic Raab, discussing the issues that cause homelessness in our community and how we work to provide solutions.
#endinghomelessnesstogether
#elmbridge

More evidence that the UK economy has returned to growth... 👍

Flash #PMI Output Index rose again to 53.3 in February (from 52.9), a 9-month high.

Still led by #services (unchanged at 54.3), but the #manufacturing #recession is easing too (47.3, up from 45.5, a 3-month high)...

SAFE is proud to be launching a new strategic partnership with AppianCapitalAdvisory and Dominic Raab advising governments on necessary steps to facilitate investments in building an advanced global mineral economy.

Read more here:

appiancapitaladvisory.com/appian-appoint…

ICYMI, Cornwall Insight have set their final forecast for the April #Ofgem cap at £1,635, 15% below January's level and 35% below the Energy Price Guarantee of £2,500 a year ago.

That would be more than enough to take headline #inflation below 2%.

If the Chancellor also freezes…