20 Of The Most Moving, Shocking And Incredible Stories HuffPost Has Published In The Last 20 Years

Posted on 10/05/2025 by Boris Clair

HuffPost turns 20 this year. To celebrate, we’re looking back at some of our most iconic work — the pieces that shocked us, surprised us and truly made us see the world in a different way. Take a look below. And if you have an all-time favourite story we’ve published over the years, share it in the comments!

I Don’t Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People

By Kayla Chadwick

Like many Americans, I’m having politics fatigue. Or, to be more specific, arguing-about-politics fatigue.

I haven’t run out of salient points or evidence for my political perspective, but there is a particular stumbling block I keep running into when trying to reach across the proverbial aisle and have those “difficult conversations” so smugly suggested by think piece after think piece:

I don’t know how to explain to someone why they should care about other people.

Read the full piece here.

FML: Why Millennials Are Facing The Scariest Financial Future Of Any Generation Since The Great Depression

By Michael Hobbes

We’ve all heard the statistics. More millennials live with their parents than with roommates. We are delaying partner-marrying and house-buying and kid-having for longer than any previous generation. And, according to The Olds, our problems are all our fault: We got the wrong degree. We spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need. We still haven’t learned to code. We killed cereal and department stores and golf and napkins and lunch. Mention “millennial” to anyone over 40 and the word “entitlement” will come back at you within seconds, our own intergenerational game of Marco Polo.

This is what it feels like to be young now. Not only are we screwed, but we have to listen to lectures about our laziness and our participation trophies from the people who screwed us.

Read the full piece here.

Dying To Be Free: There’s A Treatment For Heroin Addiction That Actually Works. Why Aren’t We Using It?

By Jason Cherkis

The last image we have of Patrick Cagey is of his first moments as a free man. He has just walked out of a 30-day drug treatment center in Georgetown, Kentucky, dressed in gym clothes and carrying a Nike duffel bag. The moment reminds his father of Patrick’s graduation from college, and he takes a picture of his son with his cell phone. Patrick is 25. His face bright, he sticks his tongue out in embarrassment. Four days later, he will be dead from a heroin overdose.

Read the full piece here.

‘For The Record, I Am Not Pregnant. What I Am Is Fed Up’

By Jennifer Aniston

Let me start by saying that addressing gossip is something I have never done. I don’t like to give energy to the business of lies, but I wanted to participate in a larger conversation that has already begun and needs to continue. Since I’m not on social media, I decided to put my thoughts here in writing.

For the record, I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up. I’m fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of “journalism,” the “First Amendment” and “celebrity news.”

Read the full piece here.

Together Alone: The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness

By Michael Hobbes

“I used to get so excited when the meth was all gone.”

This is my friend Jeremy.

“When you have it,” he says, “you have to keep using it. When it’s gone, it’s like, ‘Oh good, I can go back to my life now.’ I would stay up all weekend and go to these sex parties and then feel like shit until Wednesday. About two years ago I switched to cocaine because I could work the next day.”

Read the full piece here.

The Mom Stays In The Picture

By Allison Tate

Last weekend, my family traveled to attend my oldest niece’s Sweet Sixteen party. My brother and sister-in-law planned this party for many months and intended it to be a big surprise, and it included a photo booth for the guests.

I showed up to the party a bit late and, as usual, slightly askew from trying to dress myself and all my little people for such a special night out. I’m still carrying a fair amount of baby weight and wearing a nursing bra, and I don’t fit into my cute clothes. I felt awkward and tired and rumpled.

Beyond The Battlefield: HuffPost’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Series On Soldiers Severely Wounded In Iraq And Afghanistan

By David Wood

Starting today, The Huffington Post begins a ten-part series, Beyond the Battlefield ― an exploration of the physical and emotional challenges, victories and setbacks that catastrophically wounded soldiers encounter after returning home from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beyond the Battlefield is the result of several months of reporting and scores of interviews by the HuffPost’s veteran military correspondent, David Wood. It is a deeply-felt, hard-won and wide-ranging exploration of what it means for a soldier to suffer extraordinary, disabling wounds ― and how friends, families, and hometowns, as well as the military and medical communities, adjust and respond to the physical and emotional struggles these wounded warriors endure.

Read the full series here.

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong

By Michael Hobbes

Which brings us to one of the largest gaps between science and practice in our own time. Years from now, we will look back in horror at the counterproductive ways we addressed the obesity epidemic and the barbaric ways we treated fat people — long after we knew there was a better path.

Read the full piece here.

The 21st Century Gold Rush: How The Refugee Crisis Is Changing The World Economy

By Malia Politzer and Emily Kassie

The biggest refugee crisis in recorded history has engulfed continents, swung elections and fueled the rise of nativism. It has also made a lot of people very, very rich. These are the stories of the CEOs, criminal masterminds, pencil-pushers and low-flying vultures who have figured out how to profit from global instability, also known as human suffering.

Read the full piece here.

What Bullets Do To Bodies

By Jason Fagone

The first thing Dr. Amy Goldberg told me is that this article would be pointless. She said this on a phone call last summer, well before the election, before a tangible sensation that facts were futile became a broader American phenomenon. I was interested in Goldberg because she has spent 30 years as a trauma surgeon, almost all of that at the same hospital, Temple University Hospital in North Philadelphia, which treats more gunshot victims than any other in the state and is located in what was, according to one analysis, the deadliest of the 10 largest cities in the country until last year, with a homicide rate of 17.8 murders per 100,000 residents in 2015.

Over my years of reporting here, I had heard stories about Temple’s trauma team. A city prosecutor who handled shooting investigations once told me that the surgeons were able to piece people back together after the most horrific acts of violence. People went into the hospital damaged beyond belief and came walking out.

Read the full piece here.

Existing While Black: What Does It Feel Like When Every Move You Make Is Policed?

Edited by Taryn Finley

Jo Etta M. Harris was nursing her child in her car before a family outing. Gil Perkins was talking on the phone outside of his home. Kelly Shepard’s boys were shopping for video games. And in each instance, someone saw them as suspicious or a threat and called the police.

This isn’t new. It happens every day. The experiences of Harris, Perkins, Shepard – and so many others – are reminders that black people don’t have the privilege to simply exist in peace.

Read the series here.

The Persuaders

By Dave Jamieson

Every week, American employers hire labor consultants to prevent their workers from organizing. Known legally as “persuaders,” these consultants play a crucial role in keeping U.S. union membership near a historic low — and they are well rewarded for their efforts. Many now earn more than $2,000 per day.

HuffPost has produced a series of stories revealing who these consultants are, where they come from and what they do. The reporting is based primarily on documents obtained through dozens of public record requests. We hope these stories shed light on a trade that’s plied primarily in the shadows but impacts workplaces around the country.

Read the series here.

This Is Why Poor People’s Bad Decisions Make Perfect Sense

By Linda Tirado

There’s no way to structure this coherently. They are random observations that might help explain the mental processes. But often, I think that we look at the academic problems of poverty and have no idea of the why. We know the what and the how, and we can see systemic problems, but it’s rare to have a poor person actually explain it on their own behalf. So this is me doing that, sort of.

Read the full piece here.

What Is Hamas Thinking Now?

By Akbar Shahid Ahmed

DOHA, Qatar ― Six months into a war Hamas started ― with more than 33,000 Palestinians dead, more succumbing to famine daily and Israel determined to continue its aggressive campaign against the organization with robust American military support ― the militant group says it is confident it will wield significant influence in the future, come what may in Gaza.

Read the full piece here.

Sandra Bland Died One Year Ago: And Since Then, At Least 810 People Have Lost Their Lives In Jail

By Dana Liebelson & Ryan J. Reilly

What made Bland’s death so shocking — the reason that millions of people watched the dash-cam footage of her arrest or closely examined her mugshot—was the mystery at its heart. What had really happened inside the Waller County jail? If Bland had taken her own life, how could she have reached a state of irreversible despair so suddenly?

Read the full piece here.

Kip Kinkel Is Ready To Speak

By Jessica Schulberg

That image of Kinkel has remained frozen in time: the dangerous child people point to as the reason some kids need to be locked up for life. For decades, Kinkel never tried to correct it. He refused every interview request and even avoided being photographed in group activities inside the prison. He worried that reemerging publicly would only further traumatize his victims. But last year he agreed to speak to HuffPost.

The Super Predators: When The Man Who Abuses You Is Also A Cop

By Melissa Jeltsen and Dana Liebelson

All Sarah Loiselle wanted was a carefree summer. There was no particular reason she was feeling restless, but she’d been single for about a year and her job working with cardiac patients in upstate New York could be intense. So when she learned that a Delaware hospital needed temporary nurses, she leapt at the chance to spend a summer by the beach. In June 2011, the tall, bubbly 32-year-old drove her Jeep into the sleepy coastal town of Lewes. She and her poodle, Aries, moved into a rustic apartment above a curiosity shop that once housed the town jail. The place was so close to the bay that she could go sunbathing on her days off. It didn’t bother Loiselle that she’d be away from her friends and family for a while: She felt like she’d put her real life on hold, that she was blissfully free of all her responsibilities.

Read the full piece here.

Lorena Bobbitt Is Done Being Your Punchline

By Melissa Jeltsen

On a recent trip to Target, Lorena Bobbitt struggled to use the computer at the digital photo center. She was trying, unsuccessfully, to put her 11-year-old daughter’s picture on a Christmas card. A young male employee came over to help. When they were done and she was typing in her first name for payment, he audibly gasped.

“I thought the machine must be broken,” she recalled. “But he said, ‘I know who you are!’”

Jerry And Marge Go Large

By Jason Fagone

Gerald Selbee broke the code of the American breakfast cereal industry because he was bored at work one day, because it was a fun mental challenge, because most things at his job were not fun and because he could—because he happened to be the kind of person who saw puzzles all around him, puzzles that other people don’t realise are puzzles: the little ciphers and patterns that float through the world and stick to the surfaces of everyday things.

Read the full piece here.

Trump Administration Is ‘Actively Looking’ At Suspending Constitutional Right, Says Aide

Posted on 10/05/2025 by Boris Clair

During a press appearance on Friday, Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller detailed another possible prong of the White House’s attempts to target unauthorised immigrants: suspending habeas corpus.

“The Constitution is clear — and that of course is the supreme law of the land — that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller said. “So it’s an option that we’re actively looking at.”

Habeas corpus – as enshrined in the Constitution – helps shield people from unlawful detention, and ensures that they’re able to contest their incarceration in court. It translates to “you should have the body” in Latin and guarantees that individuals are able to physically appear in front of a judge if they are detained.

Any suspension of habeas corpus would further undercut due process protections for individuals who are detained by the Trump administration as the White House seeks to ramp up immigrant deportations.

The administration has already tried to invoke the Alien Enemies Act – a law that allows the White House to remove immigrants from the US without a hearing – in order to justify the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.

Miller’s comments on Friday signalled an openness to expanding upon these actions if the courts – which have thus far blocked a number of Trump’s immigration policies – continue to stymie the White House’s goals.

Reform UK Is Gaining Voters’ Trust Across The Country – But Is It Already Misleading The Public?

Posted on 09/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Nigel Farage’s success in last week’s local elections proved Reform UK can transform opinion poll leads into tangible results.

And it looks increasingly likely that the right-wing party’s leader – who was only elected to be the Clacton MP last July – just might be in with a chance of entering No.10 at the next general election, expected in 2029.

Even his rivals, such as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, have agreed he might be on course for a major electoral win unless they take drastic action.

Reform UK’s sudden popularity has shaken up Britain’s traditional two-party political system by comprehensively defeating both Labour and the Conservatives at last week’s local elections.

They even managed to overturn a 14,700 majority to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election from Labour.

Voters are increasingly drawn to the insurgent party because they believe it will bring change the country after 14 years of disappointing Tory rule and 10 lacklustre months from Labour.

In fact, in January, 19% of potential Reform voters told YouGov they believe Farage’s party is better than its opponents.

A further 11% said they valued Reform’s new approach to politics and welcomed the change they brought, while 8% said they were honest or trustworthy.

But HuffPost UK has found at least five examples where the populist group has apparently misled the public…

‘Remove DEI from Lincolnshire council’

Andrea Jenkyns promised to remove Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) workers from the Lincolnshire county council when she was elected as Reform UK’s first mayor last week.

But, as a Freedom of Information request from the Independent proved, there are no DEI workers in this council.

Reform claims these employees are known as “outreach officers” in North Lincolnshire Council, and hidden under different titles in Lincolnshire County Council.

‘No more work from home’

Farage has repeatedly promised to introduce “no more work from home” which he claims would lead to “increased productivity.”

Reform claim it is unreasonable for staff paid from the public purse to be working from home.

It was then revealed that Reform UK has several paid jobs on offer right now, including “regional director” which include “home working with occasional travel”.

Labour MP Stella Creasy wrote on X that the hypocrisy was “glorious”, although Reform party chair Zia Yusuf replied that, “Reform has no plans to legislate against private companies letting their employees work from home”.

He also claimed Reform can only afford one office right now.

The party alleges that it is “unreasonable” to expect regional directors to be in London five days a week, but all employees based in the capital do work from the office every day.

Britain's Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage is interviewed by Associated Press at their headquarters in Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, England, Friday, June 21, 2024. — Britain’s Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage is interviewed by Associated Press at their headquarters in Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, England, Friday, June 21, 2024.

‘We need a British DOGE for councils’

Reform UK is keen to introduce a British version of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (DOGE) and “send in the auditors” to all of the 10 councils the party now controls.

“The whole thing has to change. We need a British DOGE for every count and every local authority in this country,” Farage said.

Reform insists there are plenty of examples of councils wasting public money where funds can be redirected to fund vital local services like potholes, adult social care and SEND provision.

But the National Audit Office has previously warned many councils are already so overstretched, they are facing bankruptcy after years of cuts.

Head of the spending watchdog Gareth Davies said in February: “There have been repeated delays to local government finance reform and government can no longer resort to short-term solutions to support local authorities.

“Action to address this must resolve the systemic weaknesses in local government financial sustainability through a comprehensive, cross-government approach.”

Reform will ‘resist’ all asylum seekers

Farage has promised to “resist” asylum seekers being housed in all of the new councils that Reform controls.

He said these people were being “dumped into the north of England, getting everything for free”.

Reform councils have promised to use every legal opportunity, including judicial reviews, injunctions and planning laws, to stop this.

But the asylum system is managed by the Home Office, so it’s not clear if Reform UK could make good on its promise.

‘Net stupid zero’ is ‘destroying’ jobs

Farage’s party has promised to use “every lever” to block “net stupid zero” projects.

Claiming these policies destroy jobs and hinder economic growth, Reform UK says it wants to drill more in oil and gas in the North Sea.

The party argues this would make Britain self-sufficient with its energy supply, as the UK currently has some of the highest industrial energy prices in the world.

But the government is legally committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the already depleted supplies in the North Sea are exported out of the country anyway – meaning more drilling there will not help reduce British energy costs.

Analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit also found that, in Greater Lincolnshire alone, net zero industries add 12,209 jobs and around £980m to the local economy.

What does this mean?

Reform UK has already attracted significant scepticism around just how it will deliver on its long list of promises, especially as Farage has repeatedly dodged questions about how he intends to fund his party’s policies.

Paul Nowak, head of the Trade Union Congress, described Farage as a “political fraud and a hypocrite” who “makes Liz Truss look like a politician with integrity” last month.

HuffPost UK’s compiled list has drawn backlash from Reform’s opponents, too.

Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “So far Reform UK have been too busy cosying up to Donald Trump and fighting amongst themselves to actually get anything done for local people.

“Instead of undermining our national energy security and being an apologist for Putin’s regime, Nigel Farage should be focusing on what really matters to communities from sorting out the SEND crisis to better community policing.

“The local elections showed that Liberal Democrats are the only party holding up against Reform, because we’re local champions who get the job done.”

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK made history in these local elections, being the first party other than the Conservatives or Labour in modern British history to win this set of elections.

“The British public have elected Reform councillors with a clear mandate to cut waste, improve services and bring about serious change. That’s exactly what we’re here to do.”

Only time will tell whether Reform’s inconsistencies will hamper their skyrocketing popularity.

New Reform UK Council Leader Calls Ukraine War ‘A Distraction’

Posted on 09/05/2025 by Boris Clair

A new Reform UK council leader has called the Ukraine war a “distraction”.

Linden Kemkaran, named leader of Kent County Council a week after Reform UK’s sweeping victories in the local elections, appeared to downplay the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since World War 2.

Speaking after she was named as council leader on Thursday evening, she promised to remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber.

Kemkaran told the BBC: “This is Kent country council. We are here to represent the residents of Kent.

“A foreign war being fought thousands of miles away is simply a distraction.

“We are here to serve the people of Kent. That’s what we were elected on. That is what we are going to do.”

The councillor said Ukrainian people are “amazing” who have contributed to British society, “but a flag doesn’t change any of that”.

Kemkaran continued: “You have to understand that we won a massive majority and we have absolute, ultimate control.”

She was chosen as the council leader from six potential candidates, after a total of 57 Reform councillors were elected.

But, when pressed about her plans for the council, she said: “This is my first day in a brand new job and you wouldn’t expect me to have all the answers.

“We are going to get the auditors to come in and take a leaf out of Elon Musk’s book and appoint some sort of DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] to go through everything in detail and find out where the money is being spent and whether we can make any changes and make life better for the residents.”

When Yusuf first announced Reform’s plans to change council flags on Monday, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal Mike Tapp accused the party of “sucking up to Moscow”.

He said: “It tells you all you need to know about Nigel Farage’s Reform that their very first act after winning elections is to ban the Ukrainian flag from our town halls, in this of all weeks.

“Farage and Reform councillors should stop sucking up to Moscow and drop their ban on flying the Ukrainian flag immediately.”

Dementia Is The UK’s Leading Cause Of Death, But How Does It Actually Kill?

Posted on 09/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Dementia has been the leading cause of death in England and Wales for years now, with Dementia UK adding that more people die from dementia in the UK overall than of any other condition.

Still, a 2017 YouGov poll found that roughly half of us have no idea that dementia, which kills about 55 million people worldwide, can be a direct cause of death.

That means the dementia itself leads to their death.

So, we spoke to Simon Wheeler, Senior Knowledge Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, about how dementia actually kills.

“Dementia is a terminal condition”

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Wheeler explains: “Around 1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia. It’s the UK’s biggest killer, but many people don’t understand why.

“It shortens a person’s life by several years if they are already old, and potentially by several decades if they have young-onset dementia,” he continues.

One of the ways it does this is by diminishing a person’s ability to perform the essential skills and bodily functions that are needed to stay well.

“At first, these changes are mainly cognitive – for example, not remembering to take medicines or not being able to react to dangers around the house or outside,” Wheeler tells us.

“If they need surgery for other health problems, their dementia can make these procedures more challenging and recovery more difficult. This is why people with dementia tend to have much worse outcomes when they have to go to hospital.”

The later stages of dementia have more physical effects

“As the condition progresses to its later stages, its effects become more physical as the parts of the brain involved in eating, swallowing, moving, and communicating become severely damaged,” the expert adds.

That’s when people with dementia tend to notice physical, as well as cognitive, changes.

“They become increasingly frail,” Wheeler explains.

“Injuries and infections become more difficult to recover from. Eventually, an illness or other event happens that they can’t recover from and this is what ultimately causes the person to die.

“There is the near cause of death, such as pneumonia, and then there is the underlying condition that has resulted in the person being in such a frail and vulnerable condition – this is what dementia does.”

Early intervention still matters

More than half of those with suspected dementia wait for over a year to get a diagnosis.

But the NHS says that’s not ideal, because “an accurate early, or timely, diagnosis of dementia can have many benefits.”

These include getting the right support, getting access to treatments that can make your symptoms easier to manage and slow down the progress of the disease, and giving you more time to plan.

If you’re worried about yourself or someone close to you, speak to your GP.

You can also check your symptoms using Alzheimer’s Society’s symptom checklist or call the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.

Trump Boasts Of New Deal That Triples Taxes On Americans Buying British Products

Posted on 08/05/2025 by Boris Clair

President Donald Trump boasted on Thursday of a new trade agreement that, on average, triples the taxes Americans will have to pay on British imports while signalling that higher tariffs will be the norm for agreements with other countries as well.

According to a chart used by Trump, the new trade deal with the United Kingdom will bring in $6 billion in “external revenue,” a term he and his administration dishonestly use to describe payments collected by U.S. Customs from American importers.

The new 10% rate for nearly all goods, which was announced last month for countries all over the world, is three times higher than the 3.4% average rate Americans have paid for goods from Britain and Northern Ireland.

“It’s an anti-trade deal,” said Scott Lincicome, the director of economics at the Cato Institute’s Centre for Trade Policy Studies.

He and other economists said that Trump’s description of that 10% rate as the minimum tax level for all coming trade agreements effectively makes the United States a high-tariff country and will be a continuing drag on the economy.

“That is largely in line with my fears,” said Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama White House and now a professor at Harvard University. “Best case is emerge from Trump with a 12% average tariff rate on world. That is back to the 1940s and on par with Iran and Venezuela.”

Vice President JD Vance (left) and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Trump announced a trade framework with the U.K., hailing it as a “breakthrough” that will bring down barriers and expand market access for American imports.

University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers said, “A 10% across-the-board tariff is ridiculously high, and about five or ten times higher than any of our trading partners.”

Trump said he agreed to lower his 25% tax on imported cars to 10% for the first 100,000 cars entering from the U.K. each year to help the British auto industry because it mainly produces high-end luxury cars. “They make a very small number of cars that are super luxury, and that includes Bentley and Jaguar,” he said.

In return, the UK has agreed to open its market to American beef and other agricultural products, Trump said. “We’re a very big country. We have a lot of beef. We’re a very big country,” he added.

Trump also continued pushing his repeated lies about how international trade works, claiming, again, that the United States “loses” money when Americans buy foreign goods and that other countries pay US tariffs.

“That means we lose less money,” he said when asked during an Oval Office photo opportunity about shipping traffic falling off at US ports and dock workers and truckers fearing for their jobs. “Look, China was making over a trillion ― 1.1 trillion, in my opinion. You know, different numbers from 500 billion to 1 trillion or 1.1 trillion. And frankly, if we didn’t do business, we would have been better off.”

He then repeated a favourite falsehood of his over the years about the tariffs he imposed on Chinese imports during his first term: “China paid hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, when I was president.”

In reality, foreign nations pay none of those tariffs. American importers do, predominantly manufacturers buying raw materials and retailers. Both pass along the import taxes in the form of higher prices paid by consumers.

If all the tariff rates announced by Trump on his so-called “Liberation Day” on April 2 go into effect, it will cost American importers and consumers an extra $2.4 trillion in new taxes over a decade.

Kemi Badenoch Humiliated As Shadow Minister Breaks Ranks To Praise UK-US Trade Deal

Posted on 08/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has been embarrassed after one of her shadow cabinet broke ranks with her to praise the US-UK trade deal.

Andrew Griffith, the shadow trade secretary, said the agreement “will be welcomed by exporting businesses”.

His intervention came just minutes after Badenoch said the UK had been “shafted” by Donald Trump.

Under the terms of the deal, import tariffs on British steel and aluminium being sold to America will be reduced from 25% to zero.

Tariffs on a maximum of 100,000 British cars being exported to the US will also be cut from 27.5% to 10%.

In addition, farmers in America and Britain will be able to sell beef into each other’s countries. However, the ban on hormone-treated beef coming into the UK will stay in place.

Keir Starmer said it was a “historic” deal that will save thousands of British jobs.

But posting on X, Badenoch condemned the agreement, referring referring to a US government graphic showing that, overall, the UK had cut tariffs on American imports while America has trebled those on British goods.

Badenoch said: “When Labour negotiates, Britain loses. We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

“Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="943" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","index":13,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

When Labour negotiates, Britain loses.

We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted! https://t.co/hWzoCAGcKx

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 8, 2025

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kemi Badenoch","author_url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch","cache_age":86400,"description":"When Labour negotiates, Britain loses.We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted! https://t.co/hWzoCAGcKx— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 8, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Kemi Badenoch on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch/status/1920500628024909958","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"681cdaf3e4b007ccedaf6a27","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/kemi-badenoch-humiliated-as-shadow-minister-breaks-ranks-to-praise-uk-us-trade-deal_uk_681cdaf3e4b007ccedaf6a27","entryTagsList":"kemi-badenoch,trade-deal,andrew-griffith,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"681cdaf3e4b007ccedaf6a27","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"kemi badenoch","slug":"kemi-badenoch","links":{"relativeLink":"news/kemi-badenoch","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch/"},{"name":"trade deal","slug":"trade-deal","links":{"relativeLink":"news/trade-deal","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal/"},{"name":"Andrew Griffith","slug":"andrew-griffith","links":{"relativeLink":"news/andrew-griffith","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/andrew-griffith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/andrew-griffith"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/andrew-griffith/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

When Labour negotiates, Britain loses.

We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted! https://t.co/hWzoCAGcKx

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 8, 2025

But Griffith said: “The reduction in tariffs announced today will be welcomed by exporting businesses. The ability to strike our own free deals is a Brexit benefit and I hope this moves us conclusively into an era where this government is committed to preserve that freedom.

“Conservatives have been consistent in their support for trade agreements and the reduction of tariffs and today is the continuation of a process which started under the first Trump presidency.”

Labour leapt on the Tory disarray, posting on X: “Your own shadow trade secretary has rightly welcomed the deal Kemi Badenoch.

“Keir Starmer’s Labour government has negotiated and secured an historic UK-US trade deal. Kemi Badenoch can’t even negotiate with her own shadow cabinet.”

Eurovision Winner Nemo Backs Calls For Israel To Be Excluded From This Year’s Contest

Posted on 08/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Eurovision champion Nemo has said that they do not support Israel’s continued presence in the contest.

Nemo won Eurovision on behalf of Switzerland in 2024 with their song The Code, in what proved to be an especially controversial year for the competition.

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, many critics last year called for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel were allowed to remain. Around this time, Nemo was also one of nine acts involved in the broadcast that issued a group statement expressing solidarity with Palestine prior to the event.

In the run-up to this year’s Eurovision, the contest is once again facing scrutiny over Israel’s participation, with more than 70 artists and performers associated with the contest in the past – including two former winners – sharing an open letter this week calling for Israel to be excluded from the upcoming event.

Asked during an interview with HuffPost UK if this is a subject they have an opinion on, Nemo responded: “Yeah, I do. I personally feel like it doesn’t make sense that Israel is a part of this Eurovision. And of Eurovision in general right now.

“I don’t know how much I want to get into detail, but I would say, I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment.”

Nemo later supplied HuffPost UK with an additional statement, which read: “I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.”

Nemo celebrating their Eurovision win in May 2024

Responding to the artists’ calls for Israel to be banned from Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement earlier this week: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.

“The EBU is not immune to global events but, together, with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.

“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”

Their response continued: “As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements.

“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts. As part of its mission to secure a sustainable future for public service media, the EBU is supporting our Israeli Member KAN against the threat from being privatised or shut down by the Israeli government.

“The EBU remains aligned with other international organisations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”

Last week, Eurovision bosses issued a similarly-worded statement to HuffPost UK in response to questions from three competing countries’ national broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest.

Eurovision took place in Malmö, Sweden last year

Despite their past support for Palestine, Nemo said elsewhere in the conversation that there was “never” a question of them withdrawing from last year’s competition, as they wanted to use the Eurovision stage to tell their personal story through their song, The Code.

“It was very much just me realising that this story is important to tell. And if I’m not there to tell it, and to say it, then no one else will,” they claimed.

Nemo continued: “I think I could have not gone through all of that if I was just singing kind of a song that was a cute song, and I would feel happy singing it. I needed this sense of direction and purpose, and that was what never made me even question being there.”

“And that’s how it feels for me this year, as well,” they added, looking ahead to their performance at the upcoming contest.

Meanwhile, Nemo also spoke about the changes to the rules around permitted flags at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

These changes mean audience members are allowed to wave any flags or emblems they like (as long as they don’t violate any Swiss laws), while acts on stage or in “official spaces” are forbidden from holding any flag other than that of their own country.

As a result, this means that Pride flags are effectively banned from the Eurovision stage this year, a move which Nemo branded “stupid as fuck”.

Nemo brought the non-binary flag with them on stage at last year's Eurovision — Nemo brought the non-binary flag with them on stage at last year’s Eurovision

“That’s so dumb,” they said. “I don’t get it. It’s so random sometimes. I just feel like… why? You know what I mean?

“You can’t be known for like the queerest thing in the world, basically, a contest that has been associated with queerness and gay culture for so long, and then be like, ‘oh, we don’t allow Pride flags for the artists’.

“And especially after last year, when I had to smuggle in the non-binary flag, and they were like, ‘you can’t have it on stage’, they told me. And then after the contest, the official statement was like, ‘it was never forbidden’. But then this year, they’re pro-actively [forbidding flags on stage]. I don’t know, it’s very strange to me.”

“I don’t know, it feels a bit confusing to me,” Nemo continued. “Also, this rule feels not thought through, at all. I don’t know who decided that, and how they decided it, and what was the reason for it, especially after last year, but it just feels strange. It feels not really thought through. I don’t know.”

They added: “It doesn’t even feel ill-intended. I don’t know, I’m confused by it. I think that’s the only thing I can say. I don’t think it makes sense at all.

“And it’s harming, I feel like, the cause of Eurovision. I don’t know, it’s just weird to me.”

Following their win at Eurovision in 2024, Nemo is among the guest performers at this year’s contest, which is due to take place in Basel later this month.

They also recently unveiled their latest single Casanova, the music video for which you can watch below.

Read HuffPost UK’s full interview with Nemo next week.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="2278" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":46,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"JustNemoThingsVEVO","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjCxuxXP8h9s7cD6-YFWdTA","cache_age":86400,"description":"Nemo – Casanova\n\nStream Casanova: https://umg.lnk.to/casanova_ \nTickets, Newsletter, Discord, etc.: https://nemo.os.fan/\n\nFollow Nemo \nTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nemothingsss \nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nemothings/ \nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nemothings/ \nYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nemothings \n\n~ Lyrics ~\n\nVerse 1\nYou took off I’m caught up\nIn the way that u move\nWear a dress\nMake me guess\nIf I’m falling to soon\nWhat’ you waiting for baby? \nYou talk so sweet I’m sugar high \nDidn’t have to go chase me\nYou know I’m out here every night\nCut the light\nRead my mind\nDon’t you know what to do?\n\nChorus\nPut put put put put\nYour hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance \nTake me there Casanova\nTe te tell me who I am\nPut your hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance\n\nVerse 2\nSpin me roundPin me down\nI got nothing to lose\nMa ma ma make me kiss the ground\nTouch the clouds\nSend my head through the roof\nWhat’ you waiting for baby?\nT-touch me till I feel alive\nYou don’t have to go chase me\nYou know I come back every time\nCut the light\nRead my mind\nYeah you know what to do\n\nChorus\nPut put put put put\nYour hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance \nTake me there Casanova\nTe te tell me who I am\nPut your hands on my shoulders\nShow me how to dance\n\n#Nemo #Casanova","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3WGAH3pYGbI/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Nemo – Casanova (Official Music Video)","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WGAH3pYGbI","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"681ca2d0e4b00e22a29934ff","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eurovision-winner-nemo-backs-israel_uk_681ca2d0e4b00e22a29934ff","entryTagsList":"israel,eurovision,nemo","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":11},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"681ca2d0e4b00e22a29934ff","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Israel","slug":"israel","links":{"relativeLink":"news/israel","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel"},"relegenceId":3989007,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/israel/"},{"name":"eurovision","slug":"eurovision","links":{"relativeLink":"news/eurovision","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/eurovision","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/eurovision"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/eurovision/"},{"name":"nemo","slug":"nemo","links":{"relativeLink":"news/nemo","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nemo","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nemo"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nemo/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

[embedded content]

‘Total And Utter Rubbish’: Kemi Badenoch In War Of Words With India Over UK Trade Deal

Posted on 07/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has become embroiled in a war of words with India over the country’s trade deal with the UK.

The Tory leader has criticised tax breaks for Indian workers in the UK which are a key part of the agreement brokered by Keir Starmer’s government.

Under the arrangement, workers seconded to the UK from India-based companies will be exempt from paying National Insurance for three years.

The same arrangement will be put in place for British employees in India.

Badenoch has described it as a “two-tier” tax arrangement which will harm British workers by making it cheaper to employ those from India.

But the Financial Times reported that Badenoch agreed to a similar arrangement when she was trade secretary in the last Tory government, although a final deal was never agreed.

One Indian official told the paper: “The Tories offered us two years but we said it wasn’t enough. They put it on the table. We wanted more than three, but the principle had already been conceded in return for some gives on our sides on services.”

Another said: “It’s amazing. It was on the table when she was trade secretary.”

Responding on X, Badenoch described the story as “fake news”.

She said: “This is total and utter rubbish. I never agreed to any such tax deal. The evidence couldn’t be clearer — I refused to sign the deal. As I have always said – No Deal is Better Than a Bad Deal.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="1198" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","index":13,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

Fake News Alert.

This is total and utter rubbish. I never agreed to any such tax deal. The evidence couldn’t be clearer — I refused to sign the deal.

As I have always said – No Deal is Better Than a Bad Deal. https://t.co/y0YBRqhR0Y

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 7, 2025

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kemi Badenoch","author_url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch","cache_age":86400,"description":"Fake News Alert.This is total and utter rubbish. I never agreed to any such tax deal. The evidence couldn’t be clearer — I refused to sign the deal.As I have always said – No Deal is Better Than a Bad Deal. https://t.co/y0YBRqhR0Y— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 7, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Kemi Badenoch on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch/status/1920132266568634442","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"681b7bf6e4b06f9a4f9febab","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/total-and-utter-rubbish-kemi-badenoch-in-war-of-words-with-india-over-uk-trade-deal_uk_681b7bf6e4b06f9a4f9febab","entryTagsList":"keir-starmer,kemi-badenoch,india,trade-deal,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"681b7bf6e4b06f9a4f9febab","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"keir starmer","slug":"keir-starmer","links":{"relativeLink":"news/keir-starmer","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/"},{"name":"kemi badenoch","slug":"kemi-badenoch","links":{"relativeLink":"news/kemi-badenoch","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch/"},{"name":"India","slug":"india","links":{"relativeLink":"news/india","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/india","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/india"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/india/"},{"name":"trade deal","slug":"trade-deal","links":{"relativeLink":"news/trade-deal","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/trade-deal/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

Fake News Alert.

This is total and utter rubbish. I never agreed to any such tax deal. The evidence couldn’t be clearer — I refused to sign the deal.

As I have always said – No Deal is Better Than a Bad Deal. https://t.co/y0YBRqhR0Y

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 7, 2025

Downing Street has insisted that similar tax arrangements are included in trade deals the UK has with around 50 other countries.

Despite the row, Badenoch did not raise the issue at prime minister’s questions today.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Kemi Badenoch has been caught out by her own hypocrisy again. She says one thing but she has done another.

“Instead of rallying behind the biggest trade deal since Brexit, she is so desperate to criticise the government she has attacked her own record.

“It is her style to put party before country, so it is no wonder that she failed to deliver an agreement that will deliver an annual £4.8 billion boost for British businesses, create more jobs, raise wages by more than £2 billion a year and bring down prices for hard-pressed consumers.”

Donation for helping 20