British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confessed that the old economic order is now over following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
It comes as the United Kingdom scrambles to respond to the shocks caused by Trump’s tariffs.
Starmer admitted that the era of “globalization is over” as Trump overturns decades of free trade policies that have devastated U.S. manufacturing.
In a statement to the Sunday Times, the prime minister’s office said:
“Trump has done something that we don’t agree with, but there’s a reason why people are behind him on this.”
Taking a page out of Trump’s book, Starmer delivered a nationalistic speech at a car factory on Monday.
During the speech, Starmer pledged to support British industries.
Starmer’s remarks were less sweeping than initially reported, however.
A report in The Sunday Times said he would argue that mass immigration and free trade have hurt millions of British citizens.
Nevertheless, Starmer did declare that it was time to accept the era of “globalization is over.”
“The world has changed, globalization is over, and we are now in a new era,” Starmer told the British people.
“We’ve got to demonstrate that our approach, a more active Labour government, a more reformist government, can provide the answers for people in every part of this country.”
The speech Starmer gave was scaled back and less complimentary toward Trump than expected.
Trump’s name was never mentioned directly during Starmer’s speech.
Nevertheless, Trump cast a large shadow as Starmer declared the dawn of a new and challenging era for Britain.
Trump’s universal 10% tariff on imports and a separate 25% tariff on cars pose a “huge challenge for our future,” Starmer conceded.
“This is a changing and completely new world,” Starmer said.
“An era where old assumptions, long taken for granted, simply no longer apply.”
Despite the tough rhetoric, Britain has yet to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs.
Instead, Starmer said he would negotiate swiftly, insisting Britain wouldn’t take just any deal.
“Nobody wins from a trade war…. but it’s also a moment for urgency,” Starmer said.
Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs have sent shocks through global markets.
Dozens of countries are now scrambling to negotiate terms with the U.S. president.
The president has hailed his tariffs as the beginning of an “economic revolution.”
It is set to rebalance trade in the interest of America and American workers after decades of unfair treatment.
Trump has also used tariff pressure as leverage to pursue broader political goals.
According to the British Telegraph, the Trump administration has warned Starmer that the lack of free speech in Britain could be an obstacle to a future trade deal.
