Trump tariffs: Ed Davey calls for Commonwealth summit with Canada to discuss response to “playground bully” tactics

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Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the Government to convene a summit of Commonwealth leaders, including the Canadian Prime Minister, to discuss a joint response to President Trump’s damaging trade tariffs.

Ed Davey warned that Donald Trump is acting like a “playground bully” and forgetting who America’s real friends are.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on Keir Starmer to invite Commonwealth leaders to London to discuss a joint response to the tariffs on Canada as soon as the Prime Minister returns from his meeting with EU leaders in Brussels.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“We mustn’t let Donald Trump bully the UK or our close ally Canada, who we share a head of state with. Trump’s tariffs on our Commonwealth partner are a shocking way to treat a country that stood alongside both the US and the UK during the Second World War.

“We need to work with our allies in the Commonwealth and Europe to stand strong against Trump and remind him that we are America’s longest standing friends. So the Prime Minister should invite Commonwealth leaders to London as soon as he returns from Brussels, to discuss a joint response to the global trade war Trump is unleashing.

“Donald Trump is acting like a playground bully and is trying to play our allies off against each other. We must stand together against his attempts to divide us. Only by showing our combined strength can we persuade the President to behave properly with America’s friends.

“The British Government can’t just sit back and hope Trump won’t hit us with tariffs directly. He’s proven time and again how unpredictable he is and our economy will be hurt by this trade war anyway, which will push up prices for families in the UK.”

ENDS