Zoe Gardner

I didn't know you were a Rupert Lowe superfan.

I didn't know you were a Rupert Lowe superfan.

I'm here with you and I'm very happy about it, so thank you.

I'm here with you and I'm very happy about it, so thank you.

This is like every worker's worst nightmare, right? This is actually why I went freelance. I used to have recurring nightmares about my manager asking me to provide five examples of what I'd done that week. I've actually been quite productive. I've been writing a piece about how the far right is obsessed with violence against women and girls. I can see you sort of shifting in your seat.

This is like every worker's worst nightmare, right? This is actually why I went freelance. I used to have recurring nightmares about my manager asking me to provide five examples of what I'd done that week. I've actually been quite productive. I've been writing a piece about how the far right is obsessed with violence against women and girls. I can see you sort of shifting in your seat.

I've done loads of things, I promise. This is a conversation I only ever need to have between myself, now I'm freelance, and my accountant once a year. So I'm not used to it. And apart from that I've just been enjoying lots of great TV. Oh that's good to hear.

I've done loads of things, I promise. This is a conversation I only ever need to have between myself, now I'm freelance, and my accountant once a year. So I'm not used to it. And apart from that I've just been enjoying lots of great TV. Oh that's good to hear.

I do know how hard that is.

I do know how hard that is.

Did you manage to get one for this year? Yeah. That's incredible. I know. Congratulations. Hard work. Hard work. All right, on to people who have definitely been making their jobs count this week. Keir Starmer has made a massive announcement that the UK will increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, funded by cuts to foreign aid. Here's a clip of Starmer on Tuesday.

Did you manage to get one for this year? Yeah. That's incredible. I know. Congratulations. Hard work. Hard work. All right, on to people who have definitely been making their jobs count this week. Keir Starmer has made a massive announcement that the UK will increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, funded by cuts to foreign aid. Here's a clip of Starmer on Tuesday.

So Starmer is essentially going to want to try and persuade the U.S. to offer some security guarantees for Ukraine that will contain rather than embolden Russia. So there were lots of questions about this kind of backstop.

So Starmer is essentially going to want to try and persuade the U.S. to offer some security guarantees for Ukraine that will contain rather than embolden Russia. So there were lots of questions about this kind of backstop.

So if there was a deal that had been agreed, there would have to be provisions in place, potentially boots on the ground from European allies, but also maybe the US as well, that would prevent Russia from seeing an opportunity to go back into Ukraine and invade again. They're also probably going to talk about trade.

So if there was a deal that had been agreed, there would have to be provisions in place, potentially boots on the ground from European allies, but also maybe the US as well, that would prevent Russia from seeing an opportunity to go back into Ukraine and invade again. They're also probably going to talk about trade.

That kind of has gone on the back burner because Ukraine has been in the forefront as well. But obviously, we know that Trump is potentially considering putting tariffs on the UK.

That kind of has gone on the back burner because Ukraine has been in the forefront as well. But obviously, we know that Trump is potentially considering putting tariffs on the UK.

And so I think what Keir Starmer is going to want to do is try and sweeten this a little bit by offering maybe some concessions to Trump, maybe over agriculture, for example, to try and convince him to not punish the UK as part of his domestic economic agenda.

And so I think what Keir Starmer is going to want to do is try and sweeten this a little bit by offering maybe some concessions to Trump, maybe over agriculture, for example, to try and convince him to not punish the UK as part of his domestic economic agenda.