Best of the Spectator Spectator Out Loud: Martin Vander Weyer, Freddy Gray & Arabella Byrne
May 3, 2026
Martin Vander Weyer, a financial and industry commentator, reads on Andy Haldane, UK steel, tariffs and housing. Freddy Gray, a US-focused reporter, recounts diplomatic gaffes, Washington power plays and cultural moments stateside. Arabella Byrne, a society and culture writer, riffs on whippets as class signifiers and their surprising social history.
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Optimism Tempered By A Huge UK Capital Gap
- Andy Haldane sees reasons for optimism: healthy private-sector balance sheets, pent-up savings, and strong innovation despite weak capital markets.
- Haldane warns a £2tn capital gap and poor UK capital markets push firms to private equity and foreign buyers, hurting productivity growth.
Labour Policies Will Make UK Steel The Most Expensive In Europe
- New import quotas and a 50% tariff plus a carbon border tax will raise UK hot-rolled structural steel prices from £675 to about £870/tonne.
- Higher domestic steel costs will disadvantage UK construction and engineering while protecting a small, partly state-owned steel sector.
Personal Landlord Experience Highlights Renters' Rights Impact
- Martin Vander Weyer recounts his own experience as a buy-to-let landlord facing tax changes and the Renters' Rights Act.
- He says these policies, plus rising rates, turn his flat into a liability and mirror landlords' desire to exit the market.