Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has declined to criticize Donald Trump following the US president’s sudden reversal on international tariffs, maintaining the UK government’s neutral diplomatic approach despite the economic turbulence caused last week.
Just seven days after announcing steep import taxes on more than 60 countries, Trump has implemented a 90-day pause, reducing tariffs to the “baseline” level of 10% that the UK received last week. China remains the only exception, facing elevated tariffs of 125%.
Cooper avoided direct criticism of the president’s decision, stating: “We’ve made clear throughout that we don’t want to see a trade war. I don’t think that is in anyone’s interests. Our position hasn’t changed. We’re continuing to approach this in a calm, steady way, continuing to negotiate and work in the UK’s national interest.”
The home secretary also deflected questions about whether the UK’s “special relationship” with the US had yielded any benefit, given that Britain now faces the same tariff levels as other nations. “We’re seeing changes all the time, we’re seeing quite a lot of global insecurity,” she noted, adding: “We are not keeping a running commentary.”
Cooper emphasized that trade negotiations between the US and UK are continuing, with the government avoiding any “knee-jerk” responses to the situation as it pursues a potential trade deal.
In contrast to the government’s measured approach, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has been more forthright in his criticism, describing the situation as “Donald Trump’s Liz Truss moment” and characterizing it as “an embarrassing climbdown” for the US president.
Despite Trump’s policy reversal, global markets remain lower than before his “Liberation Day” announcement last week, though they have partially recovered following news of the tariff pause.
For more political updates, visit London Pulse News.
