Victoria Craig

And for all of our Star Wars fans out there, may the 4th be with you.

So voters across England, Wales, and Scotland are going to head to the ballot box on Thursday.

And while there are thousands of seats that are up for grabs in these elections, it's really the broader picture that's going to matter here the most.

Many people see these local elections.

as a sort of referendum on the prime minister and his government.

There is outrage over Keir Starmer's appointment of former UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson.

We've covered that quite a lot on this program.

And there's also a lot of anger on the cost of living and this less swift pace of change than people felt that they were promised when Labour came to power in 2024.

Well, it could, but there is a fairly high bar for him to be ousted.

Still, I think what's important is that the big question in these elections is whether the potential swing in voter support away from his Labor Party is going to force a leadership change.

There are also lots of questions about who voters are going to support, and the answer may be neither Labor nor the conservative parties.

And that's because third parties have tried to sort of capitalize on this outrage and discontent among voters.

And that's the other big question here is whether these elections are going to mark the end of the two-party system to a real sort of European multi-party system in the UK.

Yes, it would.

Thanks, Mark.

President Trump floats a reduced 80% tariff on China, while Beijing beefs up its controls on rare earths exports. Plus, customs brokers have suddenly found themselves at the crossroads of a high-tariff world.

President Trump floats a reduced 80% tariff on China, while Beijing beefs up its controls on rare earths exports. Plus, customs brokers have suddenly found themselves at the crossroads of a high-tariff world.

And a Vermont judge orders the release of a graduate student detained as the Trump administration singled out students with links to pro-Palestinian activism. It's Friday, May 9th. I'm Victoria Craig for The Wall Street Journal, filling in for Alex Osola. This is the p.m. edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.

And a Vermont judge orders the release of a graduate student detained as the Trump administration singled out students with links to pro-Palestinian activism. It's Friday, May 9th. I'm Victoria Craig for The Wall Street Journal, filling in for Alex Osola. This is the p.m. edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.

A day before U.S.-China trade talks begin in Switzerland, President Trump this morning floated the idea of easing tariff rates on China. In a Truth Social post, he said an 80 percent tariff on China seems right, but added that decision is up to his Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. If the U.S.