Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a stern warning to US President-elect Donald Trump against imposing tariffs on British imports. In his first appearance before the Liaison Committee, Starmer signalled he is “alive to the danger of tariffs” and made clear he is “not a fan” of protectionist measures.
Starmer was questioned by Labour MP Liam Byrne on how he intended to dissuade Trump from slapping tariffs of up to 20% on UK goods, which could cost the economy billions. The Prime Minister responded: “I am not going to speculate as to what he is going to do. It won’t come as any surprise to you that I am not a fan of tariffs and therefore we have to make sure that we avoid tariffs.”
Starmer acknowledged he had met with Trump in New York in September and spoken to him on the phone, including as recently as yesterday, though he declined to go into details of their discussions. He stated firmly: “Am I alive to the danger of tariffs? Yes of course. I am against tariffs.”
The threat of US tariffs looms large over the UK economy, with estimates suggesting they could hit £22 billion of British exports. Starmer is clearly keen to avoid this scenario, recognising the significant damage it could do to his pledge to deliver the highest sustained economic growth in the G7 by the end of Labour’s first term.
Starmer’s strong stance against tariffs reflects Labour’s longstanding free trade position, in contrast to Trump’s protectionist instincts. The Prime Minister appears determined to use his personal relationships and diplomatic skills to persuade the incoming US president not to pursue this damaging course of action.
