UK should retaliate against US tariffs, says Ed Davey

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has criticized US President Donald Trump, calling him a "bully." In a recent speech, Davey urged the UK government to respond to Trump's upcoming tariffs with measures of their own. Sir Ed spoke at his party's spring conference in Harrogate. He suggested the UK coordinate its response with the European Union and Canada. Trump has announced new tariffs that will take effect on April 2. The UK is already facing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports. Sir Ed proposed that the UK should impose tariffs on imports such as Tesla electric cars. Currently, Canada and the EU are also preparing retaliatory tariffs against the US. In contrast, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has opted for a different approach. He called for a "pragmatic" response while keeping all options available. Davey stressed the importance of confronting Trump from a strong position. He asserted that you cannot simply ignore a bully. Instead, he believes that standing together with allies is essential. He also criticized Trump for not supporting Ukraine and claimed Trump is "selling out" European security. In response to Trump's special envoy, Sir Ed defended his party's call for a stronger British leadership in Europe. He encouraged the Prime Minister to increase support for Ukraine, funded by freezing Russian assets in the UK. Chancellor Rachel Reeves spoke about the potential impact of tariffs on British exporters. She mentioned modifying the Digital Services Tax to avoid increasing trade barriers. However, Sir Ed warned that changing tax policy just to satisfy Trump could be problematic.