Politics newest: Nerves over Trump’s tariffs in Downing Avenue after ‘largest wager of Starmer’s premiership’ | Politics Information

We at the moment are listening to from our deputy political editor Sam Coates forward of Donald Trump saying tariffs at 9pm UK time.

He says there are “plenty of nerves” in Downing Avenue proper now.

“Per week in the past, they thought that by final Thursday, they may have some form of deal that might avert, partly or in complete, what’s about to occur,” Sam explains.

Our US staff has been fairly cynical about that concept for weeks, whereas Downing Avenue was optimistic, and Sam describes it as a “recreation of brinkmanship”, that we do not truly know what is going on in No 10.

That leaves Downing Avenue telling the world “it is a time for cool heads, and a peaceful strategy, and to behave within the nationwide curiosity”, as a result of “they have been caught a bit on the hop”.

“Keir Starmer has made a giant, large wager – you could possibly argue the largest wager of his premiership – which is the pose he adopts in direction of Trump, which is to be as shut because it’s attainable to be on many, many points,” Sam explains.

Tariffs on UK ‘could possibly be fairly excessive’

He notes that the US president is wildly unpopular within the UK, making the PM’s strategy a “threat”, however in the long run, “the query for voters shall be whether or not that strategy delivers”.

There are questions each about how badly hit the UK is on tariffs, and what occurs with the Ukraine battle.

“We’re going to be topic to tariffs. They could possibly be fairly excessive. The query now turns into how rapidly can we mitigate them.”

The chancellor made clear immediately that negotiations with the US on a commerce deal will proceed, but when and when any exemptions are given shall be watched intently.

However Sam additionally notes Starmer has already performed plenty of his playing cards, such because the state go to for Trump, so what different playing cards does he have left?

Our economics and information editor Ed Conway appears on the impression Trump’s tariffs may have: