Keir Starmer has resisted calls to cancel Donald Trump’s state visit amid an explosive tariff row that risks up to 25,000 British jobs.
The prime minister insisted it is not in the UK’s interest to “simply rip up” the relationship with the USA while speaking at a Jaguar Land Rover plant in the West Midlands, urging Brits to “rise together as a nation” in the face of a new era of global instability.
Last week, Trump slammed 25 per cent tariffs on imports of cars and car parts to his country as well as an overall tariff of 10 per cent on all goods. Now, the government is facing renewed calls to cancel the US president’s state visit.
When asked if the government would rescind the invitation, Keir Starmer said: “It is not in our interest to simply rip up [the UK-US economic relationship] any more than it is on defence, security, and intelligence sharing, where we are 24/7 operating with the US as our closest ally.
“So we have to keep pragmatic and calm in the steps that we take but we also must keep a sense of perspective and context. The relationship between us and the US is a longstanding relationship that has helped to keep peace for 80 years and it is simply wrong to walk away from that.”
The PM wants Donald Trump to visit Scotland this summer to meet and play golf with the king, likely between late August and early September.
While discussions about a visit and attempts to secure a UK-US trade deal are not directly linked, some in Whitehall hope the royal itinerary could be a helpful incentive in tariff talks.
A viral petition to stop his state visit has surpassed 100,000 signatures. It reads: “The tactic of trying to flatter him into doing the right thing has failed. He is not someone who should be receiving honours of any kind. The offer of a state visit should be rescinded.”
Another petition calling for the same thing has racked up more than 206,000 signatures.
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