Starmer urged to join EU and Canada in fighting Trump with retaliatory tariffs – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. Keir Starmer is taking his final PMQs earlier than the Easter recess at midday, however the massive occasion as we speak will come at 9pm tonight (UK time) when President Trump pronounces sweeping world tariffs, upending the free commerce consensus seen as the premise for a century or extra of western prosperity. Right here is our newest global story on this, and right here is our in a single day UK story, by Pippa Crerar, Heather Stewart and Richard Partington.

Bridget Phillipson was doing interview obligation on behalf of the federal government this morning. As training secretary, she shouldn’t be concerned in commerce coverage and her message was a lot the identical as Jonathan Reynolds’ when he was in the identical broadcast studios yesterday. She mentioned that the UK was “well-placed as a nation” to achieve an financial take care of the US (which could result in tariffs on the UK being decreased) and that talks have been nonetheless underway.

Keir Starmer’s stragegy – which might be crudely however precisely described as sucking as much as President Trump within the hope getting the absolute best end result for Britain – is supported by Labour MPs, and likewise by the Conservative get together. At a press convention yesterday Kemi Badenoch mentioned that the UK ought to positively rule out retaliatory tariffs, as an alternative of holding the choice open, however otherwise she is backing Starmer on this issue. And the distinction is slight as a result of Starmer doesn’t sound at all likely to deploy retaliatory tariffs anyway.

However others are urging Starmer to take a unique method. The Liberal Democrats have been urging the federal government to be far more strong with the US president, and as we speak they’re escalating that, saying Starmer needs to be forming a united entrance with the EU and Canada to battle Trump with retaliatory tariffs and different measures. In an in a single day assertion Calum Miller, Lib Dem international affairs spokesperson, mentioned:

Regardless of weeks of refusing to criticise Donald Trump’s damaging behaviour, it’s now more and more obvious that the federal government is not going to safe a carve out for the UK forward of Trump’s world tariff battle.

Trump has proven himself to be an unreliable accomplice on the financial system. Nobody, not even the US’s oldest allies, are protected from the financial hurt reaped by this White Home.

We have to finish this commerce battle as rapidly as doable. Which means working with our Canadian and European allies in a united entrance in opposition to Trump, together with retaliatory tariffs the place needed – in addition to negotiating a bespoke new customs union settlement with the EU to raised shield British companies.

Intriguingly, Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, and a journalist with in depth establisment contacts, says there are lots of people in enterprise and politics who agree with the Liberal Democrats on this. He defined why in an extended publish on social media final evening. Right here’s an extract.

Starmer has organised his navy coalition of “keen” nations to defend Ukraine in opposition to Putin within the occasion of a peace deal. My conversations with senior authorities officers, enterprise leaders and economists reveal a starvation for Starmer – or Canada’s Carney, or any elected chief of a sizeable democratic nation – to organise an “financial coalition of the keen”, to champion free commerce in opposition to Trump and his tariffs.

The idea, half of which I’ve defined earlier than, is to counter Trump’s bullying commerce ways – tomorrow’s announcement by him of tariffs on all imports to America – by threatening collectively to impose tariffs on America’s exports double or treble no matter his tariff charges turn into.

This in itself would terrify American producers and farmers, if it was a collective risk by the UK, Canada, the EU, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Australia, inter alia.

Will this concept get any traction? Possibly not as we speak, however sooner or later sooner or later it may take off. There may be some proof that No 10 is nervous about being seen as too accommodating to Trump. Yesterday, in a briefing so implausible nobody took it severely, Downing Avenue in impact sought to blame the king for Trump getting a state go to!

Right here is the agenda for the day.

9am: Kim Leadbeater holds a press convention about her assisted dying invoice, which has completed its committee stage and is again within the Commons chamber later this month.

9.15am: Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye offers proof to the Commons transport committee in regards to the electrical energy substation fireplace that closed the airport for a day.

Midday: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.

2.15pm; Lord Hermer, the lawyer basic, offers proof to the joint committee on human rights.

2.30pm: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, offers proof to the Commons Treasury committee.

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