End of Globalisation for UK? PM Keir Starmer says ‘old assumptions should be discarded’

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, is set to announce protective measures for the British economy in the upcoming week amid the ongoing tariff war between the United States and other world nations, reported the news agency Bloomberg on Sunday, April 6.

According to the news portal The Times, the British PM is set to announce an end to ‘globalisation’ and admit its failure as a ‘fallout’ of US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements.

“The world as we knew it has gone. We must rise to meet the moment,” said Keir Starmer cited the news agency quoting the Telegraph.

However, the UK's Starmer also acknowledged that he understands Donald Trump's move, calling it ‘economic nationalism’, which is why the ideology stands popular with people who believe that they witness no benefits from the free-flowing trade around the world and mass immigration into the US, as per the news portal's report.

“Trump has done something that we don’t agree with but there’s a reason why people are behind him on this. The world has changed, globalisation is over, and we are now in a new era,” a UK government official told the news portal.

They also highlighted how the UK is poised to show their approach with the tariffs, putting up a more reactive and reformist government which aims to provide answers for the people of the nation.

“I will only strike a deal if it is right for British business and the security of working people. And I will continue to make the case for free and open trade, because turning our back on that now will be a grave mistake,” Starmer wrote stating that the UK government is prepared to ‘do everything’ which is necessary to protect the British interests, reported the news agency.

Trump UK Tariffs

US President Donald Trump's 10 per cent ‘baseline’ tariffs came into effect globally at 12:01 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, April 5. This tariff barred ships and cargo from US waters past midnight on Saturday as the global trade war escalated to a new implementation phase.

Australia, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were among the first few nations to be hit with the 10 per cent tariff rates without any grace period for ongoing trade deals.

Companies like Tata Group-owned automaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in a statement to AFP on Saturday, said that they are putting a “pause” on their shipments and tenders to the United States as the “new trading terms” come into effect.

The US government earlier also put 25 per cent tariffs on steel and car imports from the United Kingdom, and both governments are now allegedly in talks about a “targeted trade agreement,” Bloomberg reported.