If Germany is embracing spending, why can't Labour?

As the president of the US provokes trade and economic chaos at home and abroad, an American tells a British friend of mine: “At least your political system removed Truss; we are landed with Trump for four years.”

- William Keegan

Unfortunately, when it comes to the worldwide damage being wreaked by Trump and his cronies, the “we” applies to all of us.

For us unashamed Europeans, the (relatively) good news is that the sudden disruption of the US's post-1945 championing of Europe has confirmed what most people in the UK had already realised: that Brexit was a historic mistake. Unfortunately, however, while being applauded for the way he has risen to the occasion diplomatically over Ukraine, Keir Starmer has yet, I fear, to get the message about the real implications of Trump's tariff war.

While sounding more “European”, and winning praise from his European counterparts, Starmer is still trying to ride two horses simultaneously.

From the defence point of view, this is understandable: there is a special relationship between the US and UK when it comes to nuclear weapons and intelligence.

But the economy and trade? In contrast to his predecessors in the Oval Office, Trump detests the EU, and has slapped tariffs on it. The EU has, quite rightly, hit back. Trump has also included the UK in his tariff onslaught, but Starmer still seems to be hoping for a “special relationship” trade deal with the US, even though all serious experts in this area know that what the US wants from such a deal would be beyond the pale for the UK.