Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated in a report that an antagonistic response would not be advantageous for Britain.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has advised Keir Starmer to avoid imposing retaliatory tariffs against the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to implement a 10% tariff on all British exports to America.
As reported by Politico, Blair, who aimed to enhance the so-called special relationship between the UK and the US during his time in office from 1997 to 2007, stressed that a confrontational stance would not benefit Britain.
“I don’t believe it is in the UK’s best interest to retaliate,” Blair was quoted by Politico while addressing students at King’s College London, in remarks initially reported by the Independent. He commended Starmer for his measured response to the tariffs.
British officials have indicated that they are actively working towards an economic agreement with the US that could lead to the removal of these tariffs.
However, Treasury Minister James Murray informed Sky News on Friday that businesses are being encouraged to identify products for which tariffs would have the least adverse effects on UK companies.
“We want to involve businesses in that decision, and we need to be clear that we keep all options on the table,” Murray stated, as quoted by Politico.
“We reserve the right to retaliate, but our primary focus is on securing a deal,” he added.
Trump remarked that Starmer was pleased that Britain avoided the 20% tariffs imposed on EU goods.
“We have a very good dialogue,” the US president said on Thursday.
“I think he was very happy about how we treated them with tariffs,” Trump further commented.
Blair, a former Labour prime minister who collaborated closely with Republican President George W. Bush during much of his tenure, also expressed concerns regarding Trump’s waning support for NATO.
Reflecting on the Kosovo War in the 1990s, Blair noted his intention to advocate for increased defense spending in Europe.
“It became evident to me that we could never have achieved it without the Americans. I thought, ‘This is concerning — what happens if the Americans decide they no longer want to be involved?’” Blair remarked.
However, it became entangled in numerous Euroskeptic debates, he remarked.
