Keir Starmer warned an “economic impact” will be felt across the country following Donald Trump’s tariff war, as an expert believes the UK remains “adrift” and “searching for relevance”
Donald Trump’s trade war on the world means the UK-US relationship can “only be salvaged” if its terms are “rethought”, an expert has claimed.
The US president announced new tariffs on nearly all of their trading partners including a whopping 34 per cent tax on imports from China and 20 per cent on the European Union. The UK was slapped with a 10 per cent tariff which was labelled a “disappointment” by business secretary Jonathan Reynolds. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer told business leaders gathered at Downing Street that “clearly there will be an economic impact”, but called for “cool and calm heads” following Trump’s announcement of a 10 per cent tariff on imports from the UK.
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Starmer admitted “nothing is off the table” when it comes to how the UK might respond to Donald Trump’s tariffs. “Today marks a new stage in our preparation. We have a range of levers at our disposal and we will continue our work with businesses across the country to discuss their assessment of the options.”
“Negotiations on an economic prosperity deal — one that strengthens our existing trading relationship — they continue and we will fight for the best deal for Britain,” Starmer added. “Nobody wins in a trade war. That is not in our national interest,” he concluded.
Dr Georgios Giannakopoulos, lecturer in Modern History at the Department of International Politics, City University of London, believes the UK remains “adrift” and “searching for relevance” as the so-called special relationship needs to be “salvaged.”
He told The Mirror: “The cycle of trade wars and economic friction between the United States and Europe signals more than a disagreement over tariffs. The trade war is not simply about steel and subsidies but reflects deeper questions about leadership, trust, and shared purpose.
“Whether we are at the end of an era—or the beginning of a redefined transatlantic pact—remains to be seen. Trump’s tariffs and “America First” rhetoric, and his open disdain for multilateralism, are a rupture to years of transatlantic relations but they also echo the Reagan era.
“Britain’s support for the US in the Iraq War—while much of continental Europe dissented—illustrated its loyalty, but also its isolation. The war’s aftermath contributed to a lasting European divide. In the post-Brexit world, Britain finds itself adrift and searching for relevance while the US recalibrates its global posture. The special relationship between the UK and the US can only be salvaged if its terms are rethought.”
British officials confirmed said they will not immediately retaliate, an approach backed by the Confederation of British Industry, a major business group. “UK firms need a measured and proportionate approach which avoids further escalation, the group’s CEO, Rain Newton-Smith, said. “Retaliation will only add to supply chain disruption, slow down investment, and stoke volatility in prices.”
