Davey calls on Starmer to host world leaders’ summit on Trump tariffs

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Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the Prime Minister to host a virtual summit of world leaders this weekend, to discuss a collective response to Donald Trump’s tariffs.

This would be similar to the virtual summit of world leaders organised by Keir Starmer in March to discuss support for Ukraine.

Ed Davey said that “now was not the time for complacency” after Trump put a 90 day pause on higher tariffs against most countries. He said that a “united front” was needed to convince the White House to remove their remaining tariffs, and that the best way to end this trade was by “standing tall with our allies” not “cowering in the corner”.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to build an “economic coalition of the willing” led by the UK, Canada and the EU and including other democratic countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea. This would be similar to the 31 countries that have formed a “coalition of the willing” in support of Ukraine in the wake of the Trump Presidency, led by the UK and France.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Donald Trump’s nonsensical economic policies have thrown the world economy into crisis and put thousands of British jobs at risk. Now is not the time for complacency.

“The Prime Minister should show the White House that we have alternatives by hosting a summit of world leaders and building an economic coalition of the willing.

“Both Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage want the UK to go cap in hand to Trump and beg him for a trade deal. That is not the way to stand up for Britain or our national interest.

“We need to show a united front and put pressure on the US to not just make this 90-day pause permanent, but remove their remaining tariffs on British businesses and our car industry completely. The best way to end this trade war for good is by standing tall with our allies, not cowering in the corner.”

ENDS