Lammy: UK will seek to persuade Trump hiking tariffs is not in his interest

The Government volition question to transportation Donald Trump that harming the UK by hiking tariffs is not successful his interest, the Foreign Secretary has said amid fears of a looming commercialized war.

David Lammy said helium would question to “get across” to the United States that “hurting your closest allies” is not successful Mr Trump’s interest.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Government is making efforts to creaseless implicit tensions with the incoming president, whose pledge to rise tariffs connected imports into the US could deed the UK economy.

Mr Lammy has besides said past captious comments helium had made astir the president-elect are “old news”.

Mr Trump has said helium wants to summation tariffs connected goods imported from astir the satellite by 10%, rising to 60% connected items from China.

David Lammy was asked if the UK would question a peculiar commercialized statement with the US truthful nary other tariffs are imposed connected UK imports into the US.

“We volition question to guarantee and to get crossed to the United States – and I judge that they would recognize this – that hurting your closest allies cannot beryllium successful your mean oregon semipermanent interests, immoderate the pursuit of nationalist argumentation successful narration to immoderate of the problems posed by China,” helium told the BBC’s Newscast podcast.

Asked if helium apologised for remarks including calling the president-elect a “neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath” oregon if Mr Trump brought them up erstwhile they met successful New York successful September, Mr Lammy said “not adjacent vaguely”.

The Foreign Secretary said helium had “felt successful his bones” determination could beryllium different Trump presidency and was “quite impressed” by the Trump run erstwhile helium met the run squad earlier this year.

But helium said a authorities sojourn successful the adjacent twelvemonth would beryllium “a spot of a gangly order” arsenic they instrumentality clip to organise.

Sir Keir Starmer said it was “good to speak” with Mr Trump successful a telephone telephone connected Wednesday evening successful which the Prime Minister congratulated him connected his “historic victory”.

“From defence and information to maturation and prosperity, the narration betwixt the UK and US is incredibly beardown and volition proceed to thrive for galore years to come,” the Prime Minister posted connected X.

Cabinet Office curate Pat McFadden, earlier, said that successful presumption of imaginable tariffs, “a batch of fiery things” are said during an predetermination campaign, but the important happening present is what Mr Trump really does.

“We evidently person interests arsenic a trading nation. We privation to support and look aft our interests, and we ever privation to person a dialog with the US medication astir those.

“But for anyone speculating astir what precisely volition happen, I would counsel let’s hold to spot what helium really does, alternatively than instrumentality everything said successful a campaign,” helium told Sky News.

Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride said it is important the Government makes definite the “mood music” is close with the caller medication to forge beardown relationships.

“I bash deliberation it’s worldly the information that this Government has ended up successful a presumption wherever it is successful a hard presumption already with the Trump administration, based connected the comments that person been made,” helium told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Conservative person Kemi Badenoch has called for an apology for comments elder Labour figures person made astir the president-elect.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, meanwhile, sought to play down the interaction Mr Lammy’s past disapproval would have, pointing retired that JD Vance had utilized “choice words” astir Mr Trump himself but was inactive chosen arsenic his moving mate.

“Well, look, the vice president-elect of the United States has utilized immoderate prime words astir the president-elect successful the past, but the constituent is those comments were successful the past,” she told reporters.

She said she had “no doubt” the Government volition beryllium capable to enactment constructively with the incoming Trump administration.

Sir Keir dodged a question astir Mr Trump reportedly describing him arsenic “very left-wing” successful backstage conversations with high-ranking UK officials.

Asked astir a Bloomberg study that the president-elect had repeatedly branded the Prime Minister “very left-wing”, Sir Keir said that his gathering with Mr Trump successful New York respective weeks ago, and his telephone telephone with him aft the predetermination result, were “very positive, precise constructive”.

The president-elect has agelong complained astir US taxation dollars backing European information and has been highly captious about Nato members not spending enough.

The Prime Minister connected Thursday said that boosting defence spending to 2.5% “remains the commitment” of the Government, but did not acceptable retired a timeline to scope it.

“We are committed to the pathway to 2.5% due to the fact that there’s thing much important than the information of our country, the nationalist information of our country,” helium said.