British PM Keir Starmer likely to declare end of globalisation amid Trump’s tariff war
Keir Starmer, despite being opposed to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, reportedly admits that free trade and migration do not work in the current era
In the wake of the reciprocal tariff announcement by US president Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is likely to declare that the age of globalisation, which made an advent in the 1990s, has reached its end.
The Times quoting a senior British official said that even though Starmer doesn’t back Trump’s extreme policies and reciprocal tariffs, he understands that the age of globalisation is over and a new era – and which is backed by millions of voters who elected Trump to power and do not believe in free trade and migration – has begun.
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‘Globalisation doesn’t work’
“Globalisation doesn’t work for a lot of working people. We don’t believe trade wars are the answer. This is a chance to show that there’s a different path,” the British official quoted Starmer, as reported by the Times.
“We’ve got to demonstrate that our approach, a more active Labour government, a more reformist government, can provide answers for people in every part of this country,” the official quoted Starmer as saying.
Boost in domestic productivity
The report says that the UK prime minister is also expected to acknowledge that he understands Trump’s thrust on economic nationalism.
Commenting on the Trump administration's raised tariffs on several countries, Starmer reportedly said that the same will trigger increased competition and prompt countries to boost domestic productivity and ramp up domestic production through supply-side reforms.
This would be Starmer’s first address to the country since Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on global trade partners who export goods to the US.
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Later in the week, Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will likely announce pro-growth data, which includes relaxing rules for electric vehicle manufacturers and briefing government strategy on industrial strategy.
Trump’s tariffs
On April 2, as several nations waited with bated breath, Trump announced reciprocal tariffs which besides imposing higher taxes on nations the US trades with, also levied a baseline tariff of 10 per cent.
“To all the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors and everyone else who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, ‘Terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers,’” Trump had said.
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“April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again," Trump added.