The art of the deal in the age of Trump

WITHOUT any doubt, the European Union is the UK's biggest and most important trading partner. Of all UK exports in 2024, 41 per cent were sold to the EU, while only 21 per cent went to the USA.

- Tony Vaughan

So it should be uncontroversial to say that our trading ties with Europe need to be protected and improved. This will enrich our economy.

Beyond the material, think about all of the shared challenges we face as a continent. Whether it be war in Europe, climate change, the rise of Al and robotics displacing people from their jobs, an increasingly isolationist American foreign policy, and cyberattacks launched by hostile states, our country cannot tackle these era-defining challenges alone.

The recent trade agreement with the EU should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of a co-ordinated, joined-up foreign policy strategy that aims to protect the UK from the damage caused by Trump's global trade policies.