Keir Starmer is under growing pressure from senior UK and EU figures to take a tougher stance against Donald Trump, as fears escalate that the US president is preparing to impose sweeping tariffs on British exports — a move that could spark a global trade war and severely damage the UK economy.
British officials in London and Washington are racing to persuade the White House to soften its approach ahead of what Trump is calling “liberation day” this Wednesday. The US has already announced 25 per cent duties on imported cars, steel and aluminium, and is now threatening further retaliatory tariffs on countries — including the UK — that impose VAT on American exports.
The Office for Budget Responsibility warned last week that a 20 per cent rise in tariffs between the US and other trading nations could reduce UK GDP by 1 per cent and wipe out the £9.9 billion fiscal headroom restored by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her spring statement.
While Starmer has so far remained cautious — reportedly waiting to gauge the full scale of US measures before deciding how to respond — calls are growing for a more assertive approach. Government sources say the Labour leader is prepared to “act in the national interest” if the UK is hit hard, but also signalled that he may avoid immediate retaliation to preserve hopes of a future UK-US trade deal.
Critics, however, say that strategy risks projecting weakness. Former UK ambassador to Washington Lord Kim Darroch warned that failing to push back decisively could embolden Trump to use tariffs repeatedly as a political lever. He urged Starmer to follow the lead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took a public stand against US tariffs and has seen his approval ratings surge.
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