Britain would be in a “much worse” position if Keir Starmer had done what others were calling on him to do by matching Donald Trump “tweet-for-tweet”, a UK cabinet minister has said.
Defending the prime minister’s handling of the deepening diplomatic crisis over Greenland and the US president’s threat of levying tariffs on the UK and other Nato allies, the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, declined to say if Britain would respond in kind.
Speaking before Trump’s arrival at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Miliband, a former Labour leader, also told the BBC that Starmer was not travelling to the summit because there were “all kinds of other things that he’s doing”.
“The bigger picture here is that the prime minister is, I think, navigating a really difficult international situation with great skill and in our national interest,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“I know some people will want to say: ‘Why hasn’t the prime minister been matching Donald Trump tweet-for-tweet?’ All of that. I honestly say to you, we would be in a much worse position as a country. He has shown calm leadership, which got us the first trade deal with the US, which got us the lowest tariff.”
Trump last week threatened to impose tariffs on countries that did not “go along” with his plan to annex Greenland, increasing pressure on European allies who have opposed his effort to take over the Arctic territory.
Relations also appeared to worsen after the US president later suggested Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius – which he described as an act of “great stupidity” – was among the reasons for him wanting to take over Greenland.
While Britain has adopted a cautious early approach to the Greenland crisis, other states have begun to adopt a different stance.
European leaders lined up on Tuesday to condemn Trump’s “new colonialism” and warn that the continent was facing a crossroads as the US president said there was no going back on his goal of controlling Greenland.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, told the World Economic Forum that it was “not a time for new imperialism”, criticising the “useless aggressivity” of Trump’s vow to levy tariffs on countries that oppose a US takeover of Greenland.
Trump is due on stage on Wednesday afternoon in Davos after using a wide-ranging White House press conference on Tuesday evening to express uncertainty about Nato members coming to the defence of the US and repeat his claim that the country needs Greenland for security purposes.
He confirmed he would be travelling to Switzerland, saying “we have a lot of meetings scheduled on Greenland” and “I think things are going to work out pretty well”.
Downing Street said there would be “engagement on all levels”, but would not speculate on potential discussions when asked on Tuesday whether the UK delegation would speak with the US at the event.
Starmer’s government also faced calls from opposition figures to hit back at Trump after new data showed that UK inflation rose to to 3.4% in December.
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, said on Wednesday: “Trump’s threat of new tariffs is hanging over British families and businesses like the sword of Damocles, risking yet another cost of living hit. That’s one more reason why the government must stand up to Trump, force him to back down, and protect Britain from a new wave of price rises.”
