Keir Starmer should fight back strongly against Donald Trump if he imposes punitive tariffs on British exports, senior UK and EU diplomats said on Saturday night, amid heightened fears that the US president could trigger a global trade war with devastating effects on the UK economy.
British government officials in London and Washington are working frantically this weekend to try to persuade Trump not to slap duties on more key UK industries on what he is calling “liberation day” on Wednesday. The US president has already announced plans for 25% levies on imports of cars, steel and aluminium to the US.
. . .
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned last week that a 20% increase in tariffs between the US and the rest of the world would cut UK growth by 1% and “entirely eliminate” the £9.9bn of fiscal headroom that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, restored in the public finances by a painful programme of welfare and other cuts in her spring statement last week.
Starmer’s gonna be the one who thinks he can change turnip, only to get burned the worst. Calling it now.
This is just based on vibes, but I don’t think Starmer thinks he can change Trump. He’s being as non-committal as possible and treating Trump with the same sort of respect he’d like in return. Trump’s used to the cold shoulder or barely concealed anger from - ostensibly anyway - politically opposed politicians, so he actually reciprocates.
But, nice as this all is, it’s almost certainly a scorpion and frog situation. I expect Trump will be looking for some way to exploit this, and I don’t think Starmer’s blind to that. Starmer’s hoping we can get to the other side of that particular river, like, say, the best possible outcome in four years, without anything terrible happening to Britain (that hasn’t already).
Any obvious attempt at preparation for the worst will be taken as an act of subterfuge* and almost certainly hasten any unpleasant behaviour on his part.
* I’m not sure whether Donny knows that word, but he damn sure knows the meaning of it.