PM calls for Britain to 'rise to the moment' amid turmoil of tariffs

SIR Keir Starmer admitted Britain must not just “sit back and hope” in the face of ongoing uncertainty over Donald Trump’s global tariffs.

- By Martyn Brown Political Editor

The Prime Minister said we must “rise to the moment” following a week of panic in the markets over Washington’s trade policy.

His remarks came after the US president suspended some of his sweeping import taxes, bringing respite to many battered stock markets across the globe, including London's FTSE 100.

The UK had been spared the higher rates faced by other nations, but the 10% “baseline” levy on all goods entering America remains in place, meaning Britain finds itself in the same position as other economies with the exception of China.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Sir Keir to maximise the UK’s Brexit freedoms in the face of global economic turmoil.

She told the Daily Express that instead of “sitting back” the PM should be going full throttle to boost trade with other nations.

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Speaking on a visit to Doncaster yesterday, Sir Keir reiterated his message that the tariffs signalled a shifting world to which the UK must adapt, without directly criticising the US president.