𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Keir Starmer should “swallow his pride” and as Nigel Farage for help over Donald Trump’s latest tarfiff bombshell, a senior MP has said. Robert Jenrick inisted that the Reform UK leader’s special relationship with the US President is a boost for Britain. 

Sir Keir has been left is desperately scrambling to stop Mr Trump’s latest tariff assault inflicting more damage on the UK economy. The Republican strongman has said he will impose global tariffs of 15%, as he has continued to rail against a Supreme Court ruling that struck down his previous import taxes.

Mr Trump initially said he would be imposing a new 10% global levy – but then upped that to the maximum allowed under a never-used trade law.

The tariffs are allowed to stay in place for around five months before the administration must seek congressional approval.

Businesses warned the move means many will face higher tariffs than before the intervention by the American legal system, as the rate previously applied to the UK was 10%.

British officials hope the changes will not affect preferential arrangements the Prime Minister negotiated on steel, cars and pharmaceuticals, but the situation remains unclear.

The US administration is also threatening to step up pressure for the UK to make concessions on chlorinated chicken, pharmaceutical costs and tech firms.

Mr Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesman said said the party “opposes blanket tariffs very strongly”.

But he said the Prime Minister needs help to protect the nation from a battering.

Speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky, he said: “This is going to be harmful for trade and come at a time when we can ill-afford it, with unemployment rising, factories closing, some of our most strategic industries, like steel and car-making, in a very difficult position because of the energy policy and the tax policy of this Labour Government.”

Asked if he wants Nigel Farage to tell Donald Trump that he is wrong, Mr Jenrick went on: “Yes, absolutely.

“And, look, Keir Starmer has tried his best, but I would bet that Nigel Farage will be better at negotiating with Donald Trump than Keir Starmer has been.”

He added: “If Keir Starmer is willing to swallow his pride and ask for Nigel’s help to try to resolve the situation, then I can assure you that Nigel would want to do that.

“But, more broadly, Reform is not going to be taken for a ride by other countries, whether they are rivals like China or allies like the United States.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson insisted talks are taking place between the UK and US at the “very highest level” but didn’t rule out retaliatory tariffs.

“We will always stand up for British interests,” she told Sky News, adding that it needs a “nuanced” approach.

The Education Secretary told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “So we did secure a preferential deal.

“We, through the work that the Prime Minister has been leading in engaging with the US government and with President Trump, we would hope and expect that to continue, but these discussions are ongoing.

“This is an evolving situation. But of course, we want to get the best possible deal for British businesses.

“I understand the uncertainty it does cause for them, but they can be assured that we will always be working to make sure they get everything that they need.”

William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, said: “We had feared that the President’s plan B response could be worse for British businesses and so it is proving.

“This means an extra 5% increase in tariffs on a wide range of UK goods exports to the US, except those covered under the Economic Prosperity Deal.

“This will be bad for trade, bad for US consumers and businesses and weaken global economic growth. Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic need a period of clarity and certainty. Higher tariffs are not the way to achieve that.”

Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist for Oxford Economics, told the Telegraph: “For the UK that thought it had secured a more advantageous 10 per cent rate this is something of an eff you.”

Mr Trump used “emergency powers” to introduce the reciprocal tariffs in April, but that was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.

He has signed a presidential order to reinstate the global levies, but must get approval from Congress within 150 days.

The UK Government said it expects Britain’s “privileged trading position with the US” to continue despite the 15% rate.

In his post on Saturday, the US President said: “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court, please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10 per cent Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15 per cent level.”