Starmer promised to “turbocharge” plans to improve the country’s competitiveness this week.
On Wednesday, the U.S. imposed a baseline tariff of 10 percent on all U.K. imports, scuttling initial hopes that the country could secure an exemption from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign.
In his op-ed, Starmer said “the immediate priority is to keep calm and fight for the best deal,” adding that all options are still on the table.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch backed the U.K. government’s policy, saying on Sky that not retaliating “as a first response is the correct thing to do.”
“Retaliatory tariffs just escalate trade wars,” Badenoch said.