BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

This is George Parker of the Financial Times with The Week in Westminster.

MPs returned to Westminster after their Easter recess this week,

but a lot of the focus was on events taking place away from the Neo-Gothic Palace.

Sarkia Stama was heading for Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

MPs were digesting that big ruling

by the Supreme Court on gender,

and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in the United States

for meetings to discuss the parlous state of the world economy.

We'll come back to that Supreme Court ruling later

and have a chat about

green energy and Sarkier's conveniently timed embrace of St George's Day. But we'll start with

Rachel Reeves in Washington, where she attended the spring meetings of the World Bank and

International Monetary Fund, which downgraded its global growth forecasts, including for the UK.

While Rachel Reeves was there, she took the chance to meet for the first time Scott Besant,

her US counterpart. At the top of the agenda, whether Britain can strike a trade deal

to lessen the economic damage caused by President Trump's imposition of high tariffs,

including those hitting UK car and steel exports.

The Chancellor hates tariffs and trade barriers, but she tried to sound understanding of the

Trump administration.

I sort of think that there is a deal there to be done with the US, but I think it is important that we understand why the US are doing what they're

doing in both of our countries. Many working people felt that the economy was not working for them,

...