Is Keir Starmer About to Sell Out Britain to Stop Trump’s Tariffs? Here’s What We Found

Keir Starmer is racing against the clock to shield British businesses from Donald Trump’s impending “Liberation Day” tariffs, but his desperate negotiations may end up causing more harm than good at home. With just hours before the US President slaps hefty new import taxes on foreign goods, the UK government’s frantic efforts to secure exemptions are revealing some painful compromises.

At the heart of the scramble are two controversial concessions that could backfire on British workers and taxpayers. First, Starmer’s team is preparing to gut the UK’s Digital Services Tax – a move that would hand Silicon Valley giants like Amazon and Apple an £800 million annual tax break. Critics are livid, accusing the government of surrendering to corporate bullying while ordinary Britons face austerity measures.

The second potential giveaway involves agriculture, where the UK may slash import tariffs on American beef and chicken. While this could theoretically open US markets to British meat exports, farmers warn it’s more likely to flood UK supermarkets with cheap imports while doing little to boost their own overseas sales. The National Farmers’ Union is drawing red lines around food safety standards, insisting chlorinated chicken must remain banned regardless of any deal.

Behind closed doors, Treasury officials are crunching nightmare numbers. Even if Starmer secures some exemptions, economists warn the broader trade war could still wipe out the government’s entire £9.9 billion fiscal buffer. The car industry is particularly vulnerable, with nearly one in five British-made vehicles destined for US markets now facing potential 25% tariffs.

As the clock ticks down to Trump’s announcement, the painful reality is dawning: no amount of last-minute dealmaking may be enough to prevent economic fallout. What began as a diplomatic scramble is turning into a stark lesson in how little leverage Britain holds in Trump’s trade wars. The Prime Minister may soon face angry questions about why he’s offering so much – in tax giveaways and agricultural concessions – for what might prove to be very little protection in return.