Calls to rejoin single market to protect UK from Trump's trade war

Ed Davey made the point in Prime Minister's questions yesterday, reflecting the concerns in this article that with the prospect of a brutal global trade war looming as a result of Donald Trump's victory, the country needs to rejoin the customs union, single market or the bloc itself to shield itself from the devastating fallout.

The paper says that pro-EU campaigners have warned that Britain must urgently rebuild ties with Europe now Donald Trump has been elected:

The former president has threatened to impose tariffs on all imports to America if he returns to the White House, which would cripple the UK and global economy. The US is Britain’s single biggest trade partner by far, above Germany, the Netherlands, France and China.

And Mr Trump has threatened a blanket 10 per cent tariff on all imports, with the levy rising as high as 60 per cent for goods from China. He has said “tariff is my favourite word”, but critics have warned the fallout of his protectionism would be higher prices for consumers in the US and globally.

And, amid fears a solitary UK would face a heightened impact, campaigners called for Sir Keir Starmer to urgently rebuild trade ties with the EU to insulate the country from the trade war that would follow Mr Trump’s re-election.

Former Liberal Democrat minister Sir Nick Harvey said Britain must “make a clear choice to be part of a strong Europe”, both in terms of strength on defence and security and trade and the economy.

Sir Nick, chief executive of the European Movement UK, told The Independent a Trump win could add to the urgent need for Britain to build stronger ties with Europe - but stressed that Europe can no longer reply on protection from the US no matter who wins.

He added: “The time for posturing on the sidelines is over. Sensible conversations are more crucial than ever before, about the damage of leaving the European Union, and what shape our future relationship should take.”

And SNP MP Stephen Gethins told The Independent that post-Brexit Britain is “more isolated than at any other time in the post war period”.

That leaves us more vulnerable in terms of hard security as well as to the impact of a trade war,” he added. Mr Gethins said: “The best means of protecting ourselves and making us more secure is to rejoin the EU, and at least the Single Market. At a time when other European democracies are enhancing security cooperation and deepening trade links, it is the best means of protecting ourselves in a more dangerous world with an increasingly isolationist US that will remain a reality regardless of tonight’s result.”

At present the threat remains one for the future, but as Trump puts his agenda into effect, calls for a rapprochement with the EU may grow more urgent.