Don't take Trump bullying ‘on the chin', PM is warned

Britain being urged to ditch EU in favour of a US trade deal

- DAVID MADDOX

A senior economic adviser to Donald Trump has warned the UK that it needs to ditch the “socialist” EU and embrace a trade deal with the US instead, or face tariffs.

The intervention by Stephen Moore appears to be an attempt to force the hand of Sir Keir Starmer in the latest sign that the relationship with the incoming White House administration is going to be painful. But the prime minister has been urged not to “take the threat on the chin” and to continue to pursue closer ties with the European Union, Britain’s largest export market.

Earlier this week, The Independent revealed that president-elect Trump plans to veto Sir Keir’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in a move that could humiliate the prime minister, because of concerns over the joint UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia.

Now Mr Trump’s team is pushing the Labour government to ditch its biggest foreign policy objective – resetting the EU relationship – in favour of a trade deal with the US.