UK
Gordon Brown calls for ‘economic coalition of the willing’ and closer EU ties to take on Trump’s tariffs
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Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for an ‘economic coalition of the willing’ and closer EU ties to take on Trump’s tariffs, which he said threaten both the economic and geopolitical orders.
The President’s decision to engage in a trade war and impose sweeping tariffs has resulted in market turmoil and sell-offs sparking trillions in losses across the world.
Yesterday, in a major U-turn, Trump announced a 90-day pause for countries hit by higher US tariffs, however he said he was authorising a universal “lowered reciprocal tariff of 10%” as negotiations continued. Despite his policy reversal, the trade war with China continued too. Trump increased tariffs on goods from China to 125%, accusing Beijing of a “lack of respect” after it retaliated by saying it would impose tariffs of 84% on US imports.
Amid an upending of global trade policy, Brown, writing in the Guardian, has called for a coalition of the willing to take on Trump’s tariffs: “Like-minded global leaders who believe that, in an interdependent world, we have to coordinate economic policies across continents if we are to safeguard jobs and living standards.”
Reflecting on lessons learnt during the 2008 financial crisis, Brown said that ‘extended credit to exporting and importing firms was central to the global response’.
Alongside calling for a coordinated response to tackle the problems posed by the tariffs, Brown also called for the UK to work more closely with the EU, adding: “Indeed, the changes under way in Europe make possible a collaboration that is even more extensive than removing post-Brexit trade barriers. There has always been a tension between Europe’s desire to lead, which makes it bold, and its desire to stay united, which makes it timid, but today Europe has lower inflation than the US, and it can reduce interest rates faster.”
In a stinging criticism of Trump, Brown wrote that the “world is being brought to its knees by one economy, outside which live 96% of the population, who produce 84% of the world’s manufactured goods”.
He called for a coordinated effort to reduce interest rates as well as mobilising the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to ‘protect poorer nations where their industries could be decimated by tariffs’.
10 April, 2025
Left Foot Forward
Like-minded global leaders who believe that, in an interdependent world, we have to coordinate economic policies across continents if we are to safeguard jobs and living standards.”
Like-minded global leaders who believe that, in an interdependent world, we have to coordinate economic policies across continents if we are to safeguard jobs and living standards.”
TweetShareWhatsAppMail
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for an ‘economic coalition of the willing’ and closer EU ties to take on Trump’s tariffs, which he said threaten both the economic and geopolitical orders.
The President’s decision to engage in a trade war and impose sweeping tariffs has resulted in market turmoil and sell-offs sparking trillions in losses across the world.
Yesterday, in a major U-turn, Trump announced a 90-day pause for countries hit by higher US tariffs, however he said he was authorising a universal “lowered reciprocal tariff of 10%” as negotiations continued. Despite his policy reversal, the trade war with China continued too. Trump increased tariffs on goods from China to 125%, accusing Beijing of a “lack of respect” after it retaliated by saying it would impose tariffs of 84% on US imports.
Amid an upending of global trade policy, Brown, writing in the Guardian, has called for a coalition of the willing to take on Trump’s tariffs: “Like-minded global leaders who believe that, in an interdependent world, we have to coordinate economic policies across continents if we are to safeguard jobs and living standards.”
Reflecting on lessons learnt during the 2008 financial crisis, Brown said that ‘extended credit to exporting and importing firms was central to the global response’.
Alongside calling for a coordinated response to tackle the problems posed by the tariffs, Brown also called for the UK to work more closely with the EU, adding: “Indeed, the changes under way in Europe make possible a collaboration that is even more extensive than removing post-Brexit trade barriers. There has always been a tension between Europe’s desire to lead, which makes it bold, and its desire to stay united, which makes it timid, but today Europe has lower inflation than the US, and it can reduce interest rates faster.”
In a stinging criticism of Trump, Brown wrote that the “world is being brought to its knees by one economy, outside which live 96% of the population, who produce 84% of the world’s manufactured goods”.
He called for a coordinated effort to reduce interest rates as well as mobilising the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to ‘protect poorer nations where their industries could be decimated by tariffs’.
Trump’s economics slammed as ‘a load of old b*llocks’ by Andrew Neil
Veteran journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil has slammed President Trump’s economic policies as a ‘load of old b*llocks’, as world leaders scramble to contain the impact of tariffs.
The U.S. President recently imposed a wave of tariffs, including a 10% “baseline” tariff on all imports into the US and a 25% tariff on car imports. The UK has been hit with a 10% baseline tariff.
60 countries will be hit with higher rates of up to 50%, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Countries in the European Union face a 20% tariff.
Trump thinks tariffs are a way to boost the economy and a means to protect American workers while reviving manufacturing, despite the evidence showing that it will only serve to hike prices for US consumers while also adversely affecting the U.S. economy.
With other countries retaliating by imposing tariffs on US imports, China announcing retaliatory tariffs of 34%, fears have grown of a trade war with markets plummeting.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s announcement of tariffs, $2.5 trillion was wiped off the S&P index, with financial experts predicting a rise in inflation and consumer goods.
Neil told Times Radio that Trump’s economics was “a load of old b*llocks”.
He said: “Let me just tell you, in the last fifty years, this trading system that has done America so badly, in the last 50 years, real per capita incomes in America have risen from $28,000 on average to $70,000 on average that is what real incomes in America have done under this trading system that has supposedly done America so badly.
“And over the past four decades, America’s share of global GDP has stayed at 25% while Europe’s has collapsed, Britain’s has collapsed, China’s has risen, other emerging markets, like Singapore, Japan, Philippines have all risen, while America has held on to a quarter of global GDP over the past four decades.
“Now in what possible universe could you regard that system as being a bad system for America, particularly since America wrote all the rules for that system, no wonder it did well, it designed the rules.”
Neil went on to add: “We’re dealing with somebody in the Oval Office who is totally divorced from economic reality.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
7 April, 2025
Veteran journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil has slammed President Trump’s economic policies as a ‘load of old b*llocks’, as world leaders scramble to contain the impact of tariffs.
The U.S. President recently imposed a wave of tariffs, including a 10% “baseline” tariff on all imports into the US and a 25% tariff on car imports. The UK has been hit with a 10% baseline tariff.
60 countries will be hit with higher rates of up to 50%, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Countries in the European Union face a 20% tariff.
Trump thinks tariffs are a way to boost the economy and a means to protect American workers while reviving manufacturing, despite the evidence showing that it will only serve to hike prices for US consumers while also adversely affecting the U.S. economy.
With other countries retaliating by imposing tariffs on US imports, China announcing retaliatory tariffs of 34%, fears have grown of a trade war with markets plummeting.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s announcement of tariffs, $2.5 trillion was wiped off the S&P index, with financial experts predicting a rise in inflation and consumer goods.
Neil told Times Radio that Trump’s economics was “a load of old b*llocks”.
He said: “Let me just tell you, in the last fifty years, this trading system that has done America so badly, in the last 50 years, real per capita incomes in America have risen from $28,000 on average to $70,000 on average that is what real incomes in America have done under this trading system that has supposedly done America so badly.
“And over the past four decades, America’s share of global GDP has stayed at 25% while Europe’s has collapsed, Britain’s has collapsed, China’s has risen, other emerging markets, like Singapore, Japan, Philippines have all risen, while America has held on to a quarter of global GDP over the past four decades.
“Now in what possible universe could you regard that system as being a bad system for America, particularly since America wrote all the rules for that system, no wonder it did well, it designed the rules.”
Neil went on to add: “We’re dealing with somebody in the Oval Office who is totally divorced from economic reality.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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