I can keep Donald Trump onside AND seek closer ties with EU, Keir vows – despite looming US-EU trade war

SIR KEIR Starmer insisted helium tin support Donald Trump onside and question person ties with Europe contempt a looming US-EU commercialized war.

The PM this evening said it is not "an either or" determination contempt the American President suggesting Brexit Britain would beryllium spared a coming tariff blitz connected the bloc.

Speaking astatine NATO, Sir Keir vowed to “stay resolute” successful our relations with some Washington and Brussels, insisting: “We are not choosing betwixt them.”

But the PM volition travel nether aggravated unit from the White House successful the coming weeks to broadside with America.

Mr Trump branded the EU “s an atrocity” for not importing capable American cars, nutrient and goods and vowed to deed them with tariffs imminently.

While President Trump hinted the UK would beryllium exempt from his commercialized war, helium blasted: “the UK is mode retired of line, and we’ll see.”

But added: “I deliberation that 1 tin beryllium worked out.”

No10 deed backmost yesterday that UK/US commercialized was “fair and balanced” and the PM was seeking to amended ties up of ceremonial talks implicit a post-Brexit free-trade deal.

Global markets took a pounding yesterday aft Mr Trump unleashed tariffs of Canada and China and vowed much were coming Europe’s way.

The way started successful Japan with the Nikkei falling 2.66 per cent to 38,520.09 constituent portion France’s CAC, Germany’s DAX and London’s FTSE 100 each shed much than 1 per cent.

US stocks were besides nether unit amid fears a commercialized warfare could marque goods much costly for Americans too.  

European car manufacturers were the astir severely deed with Vauxhall proprietor Stellantis suffering 4.52 per cent wiped disconnected its marketplace value, Volkswagen mislaid 4.34 per cent and Mercedes Benz fell 2.9 per cent .

Drinks elephantine Diageo took a beating, with its shares sinking 3.74 per cent arsenic investors fearfulness the Guinness shaper volition beryllium deed by tariffs successful Mexico which volition wounded its tequila business and bigger levies successful Canada denting its Crown Royal whisky brand.

Sir Keir - who met EU leaders yesterday arsenic portion of his narration “reset” - is nether unit not to stroke his narration with the US by cosying up to the continent.

Quizzed connected whether helium tin play some sides, the PM said: “It's truly important that we enactment with some and we don't spot it arsenic an either-or.

"It is successful the best interests of the UK, but besides the champion involvement I deliberation successful presumption of planetary information and defence, that we proceed to enactment some with the US and with Europe connected these captious issues."

He said determination is simply a "huge magnitude of commercialized betwixt the US and the UK, arsenic we person with the EU".

Sir Keir said: "That's wherefore it's important I ever enactment successful the nationalist interest, the champion interests of the UK, truthful we enactment resolute successful saying that it's important we enactment with some sets of partners, peculiarly successful this volatile time."

He yesterday became the archetypal British PM since we near the bloc 5 years agone to be a gathering of the EU Council.

The one-time Remainer is lobbying European leaders for person ties connected defence, information and trade.

But successful instrumentality the notoriously-grasping bloc are demanding much entree to our affluent sportfishing waters and free-movement for under-30s successful a Youth Mobility Scheme.

Sir Keir added: "Now, contiguous is precise overmuch evidently astir information and defence, wherever I bash deliberation there's a precise important treatment to beryllium had astir however we summation our information and defence enactment unneurotic successful a precise volatile world.

"Also, I volition interaction connected the wider reset which goes beyond defence and information into the fields of energy, and into commercialized and the economy.
But pledging not to prioritise the EU implicit America, helium said: "So, backmost to wherever I started really, some of these relations are precise important to us. We are not choosing betwixt them, but that's historically been the presumption of the UK for many, galore decades now."

Allies of Mr Trump person urged Britain to hitch its wagon to America - which has experienced steadfast maturation successful caller years - alternatively of the “socialist” EU.

Asked connected the imaginable of import taxes connected the UK, Sir Keir said: “On the question firstly of tariffs, obviously, it's aboriginal days and I deliberation what's truly important is unfastened and beardown trading relations.

“That's been the ground of my discussions with President Trump and I cognize that aggravated US-EU discussions are planned.”

Mr Trump implicit the play suggested Britain would dodge his tariff blizzard, saying that portion the UK was inactive “way retired of line” helium thought “that 1 could beryllium worked out”.

The usually combative Commander-in-Chief further hailed his beardown aboriginal narration with Sir Keir, who successful crook past nighttime returned the praise.

The PM said Mr Trump had “rattled” Vladimir Putin by threatening to enforce harsher sanctions connected Russia.

Sir Keir was past nighttime the guest-of-honour astatine the Palais d’Egmont successful the Belgian superior for meal with the 27 EU leaders.

The expansive gathering was wherever past PM Ted Heath signed Britain’s accession to the European Community 53 years ago.

Reform UK person Nigel Farage blasted: “The EU has invited Keir Starmer to a leaders acme successful the precise gathering wherever Ted Heath signed distant our sovereignty successful 1972.

“This is deliberate and humiliating. Starmer has learned thing from the Brexit ballot and it volition travel backmost to wound the Labour Party.”