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UK may keep away from the US tariffs the ‘atrocity’ EU is dealing with as a result of Starmer has been ‘good’, Trump suggests
Good morning. Keir Starmer will tonight change into the primary British PM since Brexit to attend a European Council assembly (a dinner, as a part of an off-the-cuff EU summit), and it couldn’t have come at a tougher time, as a result of it’s taking place simply as Donald Trump is unleashing tariff warfare.
Graeme Wearden is masking the worldwide tariff story on his enterprise reside weblog.
For the UK, a world tariff warfare presents a selected problem. Pre-Brexit, the UK would simply been a number one member of the EU camp. In 2016, Brexiters argued that Britain could be higher off not aligned to any main buying and selling bloc, and that it could achieve most by having the ability to nimbly duck and weave by means of the worldwide buying and selling networks. Some Brexiters needed a simple alignment with the US, which now appears to be the official Conservative occasion place, however most of them have been arguing for decide ‘n’ combine unilateralism.
Starmer is about to search out out whether or not this Brexit situation seems to be viable, whether or not, in a commerce warfare between the US and the EU, Britain can keep away from the US tariffs that Trump plans to impose on the EU whereas similtaneously attaining Labour’s aim of enhancing UK-EU commerce by easing a few of the commerce limitations which have been in place since Brexit. Or whether or not the UK has to choose a aspect. Or whether or not it finally ends up being crushed within the center, dropping out in each instructions.
In feedback yesterday, Trump stated that he was not ruling out tariffs on the UK, however he implied that he was attempting to peel Britain away from the EU, whom he described as “an atrocity”. He was talking to reporters at Andrews air power base close to Washington, as he arrived again from Florida, and he was particularly requested in regards to the UK by Nomia Iqbal, BBC’s North America correspondent. Here’s a transcript of the important thing alternate.
Q: Mr President, which nation will likely be subsequent on tariffs? Would you take into account taxing the UK?
DT: Nicely, we’re going to see what occurs. It’ll occur
Q: With the UK?
DT: May. Let’s see how issues work out. It’d occur with them.
It is going to undoubtedly occur with the European Union, I can inform you that, as a result of they’ve actually taken benefit of us. We now have over $300bn deficit. They don’t take our vehicles, they don’t take our farm merchandise, they take nearly nothing, and we take every part from them – thousands and thousands of vehicles, great quantities of meals and farm merchandise.
So the UK is manner out of line. And we’ll see.
[At this point Trump appears to correct himself, having said UK when he appears to have meant the EU.]
However European Union is actually out of line. UK is out of line, however I’m certain that one, I believe that one, may be labored out.
However the European Union it’s an atrocity what they’ve accomplished.
Q: Prime Minister Starmer needs a better relationship with the EU.
DT: Nicely, Prime Minister Starmer has been very good. We’ve had a few conferences. We’ve had quite a few telephone calls. We’re getting alongside very nicely. We’ll see whether or not or not we are able to steadiness out our funds.
With the European Union, it’s $350bn deficit, so clearly one thing’s going to happen there
As is commonly the case with Trump, he managed to mix the language of an adolescent (“very good”, “getting alongside very nicely”) with the menace of a gangster.
Sooner or later we’ll get some type of response from Starmer, and from EU leaders, though – in public, at the very least – it might be very constrained and restricted.
Jakub Krupa is masking the Europe-wide facets of the summit on our Europe reside weblog
Right here is the agenda for the day.
10am: Bridget Phillipson, the schooling secretary, offers a speech on college requirements.
11.30am: Downing Avenue holds a foyer briefing.
2.30pm: Liz Kendall, the work and pensison secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
Afternoon: Keir Starmer holds a gathering with the Nato secretary common at Nato HQ in Brussels. They’re attributable to maintain press convention at 3.40pm UK time.
3.30pm: The Dwelling Builders Federation and the Nationwide Housing Federation give proof to the Commons public accounts committee in regards to the cladding scandal.
Night: Starmer has dinner with EU leaders on the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels.
If you wish to contact me, please put up a message beneath the road or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however for those who put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You’ll be able to attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and for those who message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if crucial.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to appropriate. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
Key occasions
Polish PM Donald Tusk says he needs to have UK ‘as shut as potential to EU with regards to safety points’
Jakub Krupa
Donald Tusk, the Polish PM, and a former president of the European Council, has stated that he needs to see the UK “as shut as potential to the EU with regards to safety points”. Poland at present holds the presidency of the EU and Tusk stated it was his initiative to ask Keir Starmer to the dinner tonight.
That is what he stated (in Polish) as he arrived this morning.
I’m actually eager that, no matter Brexit and its penalties, to have the UK as shut as potential to the EU with regards to safety points, defence business, and to search out methods to remove or scale back limitations in commerce between the UK and Europe.
At present is the second to get as shut as potential once more.
Listed below are two UK foyer journalists on President Trump suggesting the UK could also be exempt from sanctions.
Brexiters are at all times eager to spotlight Brexit bonuses every time they’ll discover one (which isn’t typically), and Harry Cole from the Solar thinks this can be a good instance.
Wonderful how many individuals are managing to level out Trump says UK can escape EU tariffs with out mentioning the B phrase this morning!
Hugo Gye from the i says this reveals that Starmer’s coverage of sucking as much as Trump appears to be paying off.
EU leaders arriving for his or her casual summit have been comparatively sturdy in what they’ve been saying about President Trump and the specter of tariffs, For instance, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, stated:
If we’re attacked by way of commerce, Europe – as a real energy – should rise up for itself and subsequently react.
Jakub Krupa has all of the element on his Europe reside weblog.
Keir Starmer’s dinner with EU leaders tonight will happen on the Palais d’Egmont, a Sixteenth-century palace the place Ted Heath signed the treaty taking Britain into the European Financial Neighborhood in 1972. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief, claims this can be a deliberate try to humiliate him.
The EU has invited @Keir_Starmer to a leaders summit within the very constructing the place Ted Heath signed away our sovereignty in 1972.
That is deliberate and humiliating.
Starmer has discovered nothing from the Brexit vote and it’ll come again to chew the Labour Get together.
Phillipson says she is ‘deeply involved’ about college absence charges
Q: College absences are nonetheless very excessive. How lengthy will it take to show that spherical?
Phillipson says she is “deeply involved” about this. One little one in 5 shouldn’t be regulary at school. That damages their life possibilities, she says. She goes on:
That’s not one thing that we as authorities can sort out alone, though there’s lots that we’re doing. It’s about that partnership between authorities colleges and households. And after the pandemic, that rising fracturing that we’ve seen – that’s why it’s been so vital that we’ve reset that relationship between authorities and colleges, and with the workforce, too.
By way of what we’re doing for the time being, we’re investing extra in mentoring and attendance help, working with colleges that aren’t delivering what they need to to drive up attendance charges.
Phillipson says it is ‘insulting’ to counsel new Ofsted report playing cards too sophisticated for fogeys
Q: Is it unattainable to have a report card system for colleges with sufficient element to maintain the unions joyful, however sufficient simplicity to make it clear to folks?
Phillipson replies:
I believe the system ought to and may do each. I believe mother and father are greater than capable of course of extra info than is the case at present supplied.
I believe it’s, frankly, deeply insulting to counsel that by some means mother and father both don’t need or can’t perceive a wider vary of areas that want additional enchancment, or the place there may be actual power inside the college system.
What this may also enable us to do is to not simply concentrate on areas the place colleges want to enhance, and the place we’ll put additional help behind that, however alongside that, recognising the place there may be unbelievable work inside the system.
Bridget Phillipson has completed her speech. She is now taking questions.
Q: [From the BBC] How will mother and father maintain colleges to account? Will you do away with failing colleges?
Phillipson says she needs mother and father to see “a brand new and relentless concentrate on the perfect high quality schooling in all of our colleges”.
What mother and father will see from the brand new set of preparations, from the report playing cards, and from what I’m setting out right now is rather more details about what’s working nicely inside their little one’s college and the place there may be additional to go in driving enchancment.
Catherine McKinnell, the colleges minister, was doing the interview spherical this morning on behalf of No 10. She was put as much as speak primarily in regards to the proposed Ofsted report playing cards, however inevitably she ended up being requested about tariffs and President Trump. That is what she stated on LBC when requested if the UK was going to decide on the EU over the US as a most popular buying and selling accomplice.
We now have extremely sturdy buying and selling relationships with the European Union, but in addition with america. The European Union is clearly our largest buying and selling accomplice. The US, we now have £300bn of commerce with america. They’re our largest investor. We’re the biggest investor in america – £1.2tn a yr invested in each other’s economies. I don’t assume we must always have to decide on.
I believe Keir Starmer has taken the suitable strategy in constructing actually sturdy relationships with our European neighbours and with america.
New Ofsted report card system will present ‘wealthy, granular perception’, Bridget Phillipson says
Bridget Phillipson, the schooling secretary, is giving her speech on college requirements now on the Centre for Social Justice.
There’s a reside feed right here.
In line with extracts launched prematurely, she’s going to defend the proposals for a brand new Ofsted system for assessing colleges. She’s going to say:
Our proposals will swap single headline grades for the wealthy, granular perception of faculty report playing cards.
Elevating the bar on what we anticipate from colleges, shining a lightweight on all of the areas that matter, every given their very own grade.
Figuring out excellence and rooting out efficiency that falls in need of expectations, so that oldsters have clearer, higher details about their native colleges.
Keir Starmer needs his assembly with EU leaders to concentrate on safety. In line with Downing Avenue, when he meets EU leaders tonight, he’ll “set out his pitch for an formidable UK-EU defence and safety partnership with numerous steps to extend co-operation on shared threats, and go additional on cross-border crime and unlawful migration, whereas delivering development and safety at dwelling”. Rowena Mason has extra element right here.
In a press release issued in a single day, Starmer stated:
We have to see all allies stepping up – significantly in Europe.
President Trump has threatened extra sanctions on Russia and it’s clear that’s acquired Putin rattled. We all know that he’s frightened in regards to the state of the Russian financial system.
I’m right here to work with our European companions on maintaining the strain, concentrating on the vitality revenues and the businesses supplying his missile factories to crush Putin’s warfare machine.
As a result of in the end, alongside our army help, that’s what will carry peace nearer.
Provided that Putin shouldn’t be the one European chief “rattled” by what Trump is as much as, this agenda could also be overshadowed by the commerce/tariffs story.
Ofsted’s new college report card worse than previous system, say headteachers
Strikes to overtake the best way colleges are inspected in England have been criticised by headteachers and instructing unions as “demoralising” and worse than the system they’re aiming to exchange, Richard Adams and Peter Walker report.
The Occasions this morning has splashed on a narrative claiming that, on the EU dinner this night, President Macron will inform Keir Starmer that his look on the summit means Brexit has failed.
The story is predicated on a quote from a “senior diplomat” arguing that Macron thinks Brexit was at all times doomed to fail anyway, however that the election of Donald Trump has made it much more unviable.
Of their story, Bruno Waterfield and Matt Dathan report:
Senior diplomats have stated France views Starmer because the “demandeur,” a supplicant who’s being pushed again into the EU fold as a result of Britain has been weakened by Brexit at a time of rising worldwide instability and the return of Trump to the White Home.
A senior diplomat stated: “The Brexit mission, breaking away from the EU to create a world Britain, didn’t work. We thought it wouldn’t work as a result of the UK is European, geographically and economically. Brexit was a mission for a secure and affluent world, however in a sophisticated world, clearly the UK will likely be nearer to Europe.”
UK may keep away from the US tariffs the ‘atrocity’ EU is dealing with as a result of Starmer has been ‘good’, Trump suggests
Good morning. Keir Starmer will tonight change into the primary British PM since Brexit to attend a European Council assembly (a dinner, as a part of an off-the-cuff EU summit), and it couldn’t have come at a tougher time, as a result of it’s taking place simply as Donald Trump is unleashing tariff warfare.
Graeme Wearden is masking the worldwide tariff story on his enterprise reside weblog.
For the UK, a world tariff warfare presents a selected problem. Pre-Brexit, the UK would simply been a number one member of the EU camp. In 2016, Brexiters argued that Britain could be higher off not aligned to any main buying and selling bloc, and that it could achieve most by having the ability to nimbly duck and weave by means of the worldwide buying and selling networks. Some Brexiters needed a simple alignment with the US, which now appears to be the official Conservative occasion place, however most of them have been arguing for decide ‘n’ combine unilateralism.
Starmer is about to search out out whether or not this Brexit situation seems to be viable, whether or not, in a commerce warfare between the US and the EU, Britain can keep away from the US tariffs that Trump plans to impose on the EU whereas similtaneously attaining Labour’s aim of enhancing UK-EU commerce by easing a few of the commerce limitations which have been in place since Brexit. Or whether or not the UK has to choose a aspect. Or whether or not it finally ends up being crushed within the center, dropping out in each instructions.
In feedback yesterday, Trump stated that he was not ruling out tariffs on the UK, however he implied that he was attempting to peel Britain away from the EU, whom he described as “an atrocity”. He was talking to reporters at Andrews air power base close to Washington, as he arrived again from Florida, and he was particularly requested in regards to the UK by Nomia Iqbal, BBC’s North America correspondent. Here’s a transcript of the important thing alternate.
Q: Mr President, which nation will likely be subsequent on tariffs? Would you take into account taxing the UK?
DT: Nicely, we’re going to see what occurs. It’ll occur
Q: With the UK?
DT: May. Let’s see how issues work out. It’d occur with them.
It is going to undoubtedly occur with the European Union, I can inform you that, as a result of they’ve actually taken benefit of us. We now have over $300bn deficit. They don’t take our vehicles, they don’t take our farm merchandise, they take nearly nothing, and we take every part from them – thousands and thousands of vehicles, great quantities of meals and farm merchandise.
So the UK is manner out of line. And we’ll see.
[At this point Trump appears to correct himself, having said UK when he appears to have meant the EU.]
However European Union is actually out of line. UK is out of line, however I’m certain that one, I believe that one, may be labored out.
However the European Union it’s an atrocity what they’ve accomplished.
Q: Prime Minister Starmer needs a better relationship with the EU.
DT: Nicely, Prime Minister Starmer has been very good. We’ve had a few conferences. We’ve had quite a few telephone calls. We’re getting alongside very nicely. We’ll see whether or not or not we are able to steadiness out our funds.
With the European Union, it’s $350bn deficit, so clearly one thing’s going to happen there
As is commonly the case with Trump, he managed to mix the language of an adolescent (“very good”, “getting alongside very nicely”) with the menace of a gangster.
Sooner or later we’ll get some type of response from Starmer, and from EU leaders, though – in public, at the very least – it might be very constrained and restricted.
Jakub Krupa is masking the Europe-wide facets of the summit on our Europe reside weblog
Right here is the agenda for the day.
10am: Bridget Phillipson, the schooling secretary, offers a speech on college requirements.
11.30am: Downing Avenue holds a foyer briefing.
2.30pm: Liz Kendall, the work and pensison secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
Afternoon: Keir Starmer holds a gathering with the Nato secretary common at Nato HQ in Brussels. They’re attributable to maintain press convention at 3.40pm UK time.
3.30pm: The Dwelling Builders Federation and the Nationwide Housing Federation give proof to the Commons public accounts committee in regards to the cladding scandal.
Night: Starmer has dinner with EU leaders on the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels.
If you wish to contact me, please put up a message beneath the road or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however for those who put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You’ll be able to attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and for those who message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if crucial.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to appropriate. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.