09:51 GMT
Sky News’ Beth Rigby asks if Trump does go ahead with tariffs, will the UK have to take that economic pain, and is the UK planning retaliatory tariffs if that happens.
Starmer says the move has been “very badly received” across the UK, and it is a “very serious situation”.
He adds that a tariff war isn’t in anybody’s interests because it will be “businesses, workers and families across the country who will be hit by a trade war”.
Robert Peston from ITV asks Starmer when he will consider some type of economic retaliation to tariffs, to which Starmer repeats that “this is a serious situation” and adds that threatening tariffs on allies is “the wrong thing to do, completely wrong”.
He says a
trade war is not in the interests of the UK and his job is to make sure it
doesn’t get to that point.
Peston also asks Starmer whether he will advise the King to not take part in a state visit to the US in April, to which the prime minister says it is important to continue work with the US, on matters on defence, intelligence and security.
“That requires us to have a good relationship with the United States.”
He adds that this does not mean we pretend we don’t have differences of opinion, we do.
Image source, PA MediaImage caption,
King Charles is expected to visit the US later this year