The prime minister of Britain has confessed that the old economic order is not coming back as the United Kingdom scrambles to respond to the shocks caused by President Trump's tariffs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitted that the era of globalization is over, as Trump overturns decades of free trade policies that have devastated manufacturing in the U.S.
"Trump has done something that we don’t agree with, but there’s a reason why people are behind him on this," the prime minister’s office said in a statement to the Sunday Times.
Taking a page out of Trump's book, Starmer delivered a nationalistic speech at a car factory on Monday in which he pledged to support British industry.
Starmer's remarks were less sweeping than initially reported. A report in The Sunday Times said he would argue that mass immigration and free trade have hurt millions of British citizens, and it was time to accept the era of globalization "is over."
"The world has changed, globalization is over and we are now in a new era," the prime minister’s office said in a statement to the Sunday Times. "We’ve got to demonstrate that our approach, a more active Labour government, a more reformist government, can provide the answers for people in every part of this country."
The speech Starmer gave was scaled back and less complimentary towards Trump - who was never mentioned directly, although he cast a large shadow as Starmer declared the dawn of a new and challenging era for Britain.
Trump's universal 10% tariff on imports, and a separate 25% tariff on cars, pose a "huge challenge for our future," Starmer conceded.
"This is a changing and completely new world," Starmer said. "An era where old assumptions, long taken for granted simply no longer apply."
Despite the tough rhetoric, Britain has yet to retaliate against Trump's tariffs. Starmer instead said he would negotiate swiftly, insisting Britain won't take just any deal.
"Nobody wins from a trade war.... but it's also a moment for urgency," Starmer said.
Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs have sent shocks through global markets, as dozens of countries scramble to negotiate terms with the U.S. president.
The president has hailed his tariffs as the beginning of an "economic revolution" that will rebalance trade in the interest of America and American workers after decades of unfair treatment.
Trump has also used tariff pressure as leverage to pursue broader political goals. According to the British Telegraph, the Trump administration has warned Starmer that the lack of free speech in Britain could be an obstacle to a future trade deal.
