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(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to hold President Donald Trump close this year in a bid to shield the UK from the sharp end of his trade policies. Right now, that strategy seems to be breaking down.
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Trump on Monday sued the BBC for at least $10 billion over a misleading edit in a documentary last year, forcing Starmer into the center of a clash between the White House and Britain’s national broadcaster.
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A much-vaunted agreement between the Trump and Starmer administrations to deepen their cooperation on technology has also been put on ice. The US halted implementation of the deal after becoming frustrated with a lack of progress to address so-called non-tariff trade barriers, a person familiar with the matter said.
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British hopes of securing zero tariffs on the steel it exports to America were dashed after the countries failed to agree terms. That left the levies at 25% — still favorable compared to the 50% tariffs faced by other countries, but not at the level sought by the Brits.
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There’s a similar challenge in Scotch whisky. Despite Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney both making the case directly with Trump for lowering tariffs, the president is yet to commit to the exemption three months later.
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Before the unraveling Starmer had seemed to register success in managing a US president many fellow leaders have found unpredictable, inviting him over for an unprecedented second state visit earlier this year. “I think he has been second to none in terms of the relationship he’s built with President Trump,” Starmer’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Times Radio on Monday.
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The limitations of that personal rapport did glimmer into view as soon as Trump’s flight back home, when the US president criticized the UK government’s immigration and energy policies.
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They were on show — with more serious consequences — in Starmer’s recent efforts, alongside other European leaders, to keep the US allied to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion and tries end to the fighting on favorable terms.
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Trump has pressured Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow on territory, while a National Security Strategy published by the White House earlier this month laid bare the Trump administration’s increasingly hostile view of Europe.
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Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Starmer’s spokesperson Tom Wells insisted he has a “fantastic relationship” with Trump and that “the special relationship with the US remains just that.” He said the UK remained in talks with the US over the tech deal and was confident of getting it back on track.
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The prime minister, leader of the left-wing Labour Party, was not a natural ally of Trump but sought to put aside his past criticisms of the president, making a series of trips to the US to meet Trump and talking up the frequency of their phone calls.
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Their alliance is also under the microscope as Starmer prepares to announce his new ambassador to Washington. The premier is expected to choose between Varun Chandra, a business adviser, Nigel Casey, the current envoy to Russia, and Christian Turner, the ambassador to the United Nations.
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Appointing Chandra would be seen as an attempt by Starmer to fix the problems that have arisen on trade. Going for career diplomats Casey or Turner might suggest London sees security as a more pressing priority.
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At home, Starmer faces increasing calls to take a more assertive stance toward the US. “The Trump administration has clearly set out they want to interfere in our democracy, which includes undermining our national broadcaster,” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Tuesday in response to the BBC suit. “The Prime Minister needs to make clear this is unacceptable.”
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—With assistance from Ellen Milligan.
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(Adds comment from prime minister’s spokesman in 9th paragraph.)
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English (US)