Yup. It feels cruel to deny deluded Brexiters their tiny sliver of a ‘win’ but, on the other hand, fuck ‘em. Weakening a country *before* an attack like this is an act of obvious treachery. We would, by any measure, be better off *in* the the EU *with* the 20% basic tariff rate.
Fuck, as you quite rightly said, 'em.
1 - This'll accelerate non-US global trade alliances esp China/EU 2 - It's all about domestic US policy and the continued power grab by the Executive Office
ideed , the question is does Starmer have the balls to come and say it ? I think we know the answer
It won't stop them breaking out the bunting today and claiming a huge victory. One of these days, they might juuuuust reach that straw.
Bloodbath on Wall Street this morning $1 trillion knocked off shares in 90 minutes and it's still falling. Gold is spiking to an all time high. So Trump might be considering melting down the toilets in Trump Tower
Brexiteers delighting at only having been wellied in the nadgers 10 times rather than your next door neighbour who got it 20 times. Massive win...🫣🤔
“I have in my hand a piece of paper, Lower than others tariffs in our time”. As a PM once almost said.
Because in the Single Market, which they demanded we MUST leave, there aren't 'ANY' Tariffs ... Zero. Nil. 0%
I might tune in at 10am if I can still afford to put on the wireless.
Yes because the EU is an economic superpower and will now hit US business very hard.
And we in the UK will sit back and watch the EU fight the battle, in the mistaken belief that we'll benefit if the EU wins. We won't. We should be standing with them.
Yes of course
While the Brexiters all moan about the 'evil' EU excluding us from the benefits they win.
Will Trump's tax on UK car imports REALLY affect car sales?? The vast majority of cars the UK exports to the USA are luxury models, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Bentley. They buy them BECAUSE they are expensive. Will a few thousand dollars more just make them MORE desirable to rich Americans??
There will be 10% tariffs dealing with Trump, (but no taxes on US tech giants.) There would be zero tariffs rejoining the EU. To me that’s a no brainier.
Starmer has a weak hand since he hasn’t got EU on side to support retaliation.
Although we could co-ordinate with the EU in response if we wanted to.
Yet if we were still in the EU it would be 10% 🤔
Yep, our only real choice is to bend over for Trump. So much for all that sovereignty.
I'm convinced the main reason Trump gave us the 10% rate is because he doesn't want us to reconsider our EU membership, because both the the EU and UK would be in a much stronger bargaining position with us in it. He wants us isolated so he can negotiate a great (for the USA) trade deal with us.
Exactly
bsky.app/profile/ghos...
Aha, but we can now put our own Tarrifs on trump without waiting on EU , and ours can be so much bigger and Trump will be cowering in fear in the oval office as the UK prepare to announce our rates.
If only!
Its not that Brexit means lower tariffs, it's that Brexit means Trump can hold the threat of tariffs over UK to obtain concessions we're in no position to deny. A permanent & degrading dependence on Trump's US beckons
Lesson for Starmer. m.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ou...
We’d be better of a vassal state of the Russians for Brexit idiots, after all they got zero tariffs.
We wouldn't have to kowtow to the pervert in chief either. Unity is strength, but we're on our own. I get the strategy: flattery does work with the orange monster. But it's grim af to watch
UK goods exports to the US are just one sixth of our exports to the EU (£60bn v £360bn) despite the trading difficulties caused by Brexit. The market we must focus on is right on our doorstep.
Trump is clearly trying to make it harder for closer alignment with the EU, or a reversal of Brexit. Brexit was idiocy. It’s a win for Brexiteers insofar as Trump is assisting with consolidating the idiocy of Brexit!
We blew our own kneecaps off to avoid getting shot in the foot. All hail Brexit.
I voted Remain and would love to rejoin but can see that it won't be as straightforward as many suggest. I wish it were! Let's never forget who put us in this position.
It definitely won't be straightforward. Why would the EU want the UK back after all the messing? Gonna be a looooong road.
You are so right. Depressing!
It is never going to happen - UK will change its mind AGAIN in 5 years & re elect a johnson spive - to do brexit all over again - UK is not wanted full stop, FULL STOP.
I fear you may be right. Depressing. 🙁
It won't happen while Tories/Labour are incentivised by GPTP to pander to what they interpret as"Red Wall" brexity voters. Rhay voter must have their ice cream every day. The EU won't let us back in when our bonkers, superficial political system could just as easily whiplash again in 5 years.
Brexit will never end and purposely so.
Where’s Farage this morning ? Is the traitorous bastard going to try to justify these tariffs ?
It's not a win. We have been given the same tariff as an island with penguins. It shows how weak we are as a trading nation since Brexit. We have lost billions, weak trade deals. We have a trading bloc on our doorstep. All calculated by trade deficit and exports.
Starmer cannot seriously think the best way to deal with this is UK protectionism, which would be antithetical to everything he told us he was. The UK must now try to be at the centre of a coordinated response. If it tries to sail these choppy economic waters alone, it will sink like a stone.
Did not expect @mrjamesob.bsky.social to drop an f bomb out of nowhere like that. Read this in his voice as well as if listening to it live on air. Mind-blowing stuff!
If ever there was a case for rejoining the EU it’s now. Commercially, we need to strengthen and grow our trading relations with our allies. We need to replace the lost trade with the states Morally, time to ditch the USA
Liking your increased swearing tbf. Have been hanging out with Dunt? Or possibly just a signed of these oh-so-fucked-up times
"Who do you think You are kidding Mr. Trumper? If you think you've won the war ..."
I think @lewisgoodall.com puts it best " whoop-de-do!" bsky.app/profile/impl...
The UK exports £360bn of goods to the EU, on which we now struggle with big non tariff barriers, compared to £60bn to the US. Imagine looking at this sh1tshow and thinking it vindicates Brexit in any way.
It's no Brexit victory because Trump changes his mind everything he gets out of bed or combs his combover. It's a threat, ready to hike it any minute. It's an attack on the world's economies. UK is too weak to reciprocate. It can only bend over and capitulate. Starmer needs to rip up his red lines
I have just dipped into the hell-site & as sure as night follows day every single one of the usual suspects is celebrating "the win" 🙄
If we were still in the EU our trade balance would have watered down the output of their clownshoes algorithm, and the overall tariff would likely be less than 20% for the EU, plus we would have our 4% extra GDP
One thing the US now has in common with the UK: The UK is now no longer the only country in history to impose economic sanctions on itself...
Love your programmes James. You help keep me sane and so well informed. Thank you🤗
The 🍊💩 imposed ‘only’ 10% rate on us as he doesn't want us to #Rejoin the EU - which would strengthen both the EU and UK, giving us greater bargaining power.
You might be interested in our movement.
...not having to bootlick a fascist regime, grovel to bigots, stand with actual allies and a chance to retain some dignity as a nation is worth 10% extra and whatever else it takes to slap back, if you ask me.
No doubt the UK will do a bit of posturing about doing something, then do nothing. Not sure where Starmer is coming from or heading towards, but this is all looking very weak.
It’s amazing the meta info to be gleaned from this Trump move! Clearly he values the future visit worth 10% of trade tariffs! So feed him more ribbons and bobbles! Anoint him: Lord of Greenland Laird of Chagos Island Freedom of the City of St Davids, Wales …I’m sure many more can be created!
“He’s inflicting slightly less pain on me than someone else”. Oh what a special relationship it is…
Reading out on today's show the names of all the Brexit numb-nuts who ever said, "Let's Go, WTO!", would be pointless, but cathartic.
Quick question: why is Russia not on tariff list? 🤔
and Belarus, North Korea?
🤔
They're getting anti-tariffs. Trump wants to lift sanctions.
Falkland islands hit by 41% tariff!! Not sure that would help
Russia got 0% tariffs, should we join them us well?
Even still they can’t do basic maths in their tiny pea brains.
Remember the Rees Smug and others claiming UK can not be a vassal state of the EU….but let them claim the win….. and embrace being a vassal state to the US and its unstable, unreliable multi-felon, tango President.
At this point the greatest risk to the UK economy comes from Trump spooking the markets. If it wasn’t viable to set up a US version of a company before, the additional 10% tariff won’t change that. And because the tariffs are global it doesn’t make it cheaper to buy from elsewhere.
‘Economically Illiterate’ …https://youtu.be/avEtMcELaPU?si=hFRndG8NlYFGVzIV
Imagine the boost to national confidence of starmer just announcing at the ballot box “fuck trump”.
There doesn't need to be a general election until 2029.
Of course, I meant in parliament or something
The despatch box?
That’s it
And the boost to his personal popularity 😂
I just might vote for them again
He claims EU has a 39% tariff on US imports and the figure for the UK is 20%. We’ve made no deal with the US since Brexit so shows these figures are purely arbitrary.
This has been in play well before Brexit buddy... right wing Farage gobshit for exclusion from the EU ... playing into his racist and fascist ideals in the colonies
Strong words at last James ...yes fuck em
Think of it: #X is destroying democracy #meta is destroying transparency and promoting violence and misinformation #airbnb is destroying housing #amazon is destroying local trade #Starbucks is destroying artisans and local hospitality Impose 100% #tariffs and #Boycott #USA business
I mean the difference in 10% and 20% tariffs is utterly negligible when you consider the damage done by lost trade and investment in the past several years, not to mention the real damage to our economic fortunes from an global downturn from this trade war.
The similarities between the umpa lumpa and Boris are obvious. Boris had dual nationality with the U.S. before becoming PM. Two pig shit thick morons in a barrel, they both should have drank the bleach.
Traitor Trump imposed tariffs on every country, including a country occupied only by penguins, except Russia and North Korea. Of course.
The EU tariff varies from 10% to 50%, presumably because Trump didn’t know that various French overseas territories are legally part of France. Martinique (France): 10% St Pierre et Miquelon (France): 50%
Well said its time to rejoin and its time the people of the UK demanded it
£60b exports to US £360b to EU It’s not hard to work out we need to keep stronger trading relationships with the EU!
Just heard some twat on Question Time claiming the 10% tariff as a Brexit benefit. I can't believe I have to share a country with these ghastly twunts.
I think Matthew Lynn means "Trump just proved Brexit is no longer the worst decision ever made"
I feel that Starmer's response has been cowardly from a patriotic point of view. The Comms team in Downing Street has responded to being slapped in the face by trying very hard not to be angry about it.
So that’s why they voted ‘leave’.
Yes fuck ‘em. This is not even close to a win. This is another brexity lie being frantically peddled to the Daily Mail demographic to pretend Brexit isn’t a monumental fuck-up. A 10% tariff with 25% on cars and the only possible escape - doing a deal with the orange loon - what an epic lose-lose.
Well, #Tump-Tariffs will massively benefit the North of Ireland, which, thanks to NI having remained in the 🇪🇺 single market and the UK's role as #WhiteHouseAppeasers, it has just become the natural trading post for EU exports to the USA
It’s the most grim, nihilistic, desperate argument I’ve ever heard, but entirely predictable coming from the right-wing rags. It’s a bit like saying: ‘We could be well and truly fooked but, thanks to Brexit, we’re only fooked.’
He can throw America’s economic weight around this way because of its size. Maybe we should look to form a trading bloc of similar heft.
Agreed. Fuck’em
This is nothing else but Orwell’s chocolate ration “increase”.
Keir Starmer’s relationship with Trump is akin to that of Captain Darling and General Melchett in Blackadder Goes Forth. Darling thought he was quite safe being so close to Melchett but as we discovered, Melchett saw it differently and happily sacrificed him with all the others in the “final push”.
Reminds me of the relationship between Reek and Ramsey Bolton.
Eye watering.
Hah, good analogy!
Sarah the solution is a simple one. We buy TrumpCoin and Trump will reconsider each tariff. Simples. This is a global (apart from Russia) shakedown.
Dear Starmer, instead of following your RW dogma and driving the country off another cliff, starting doing what people who voted for you need and want. Help the poor, the sick and elderly Rejoin Europe Bin in the US Tax the wealthy Nationalise the utilities Stop funding genocide Or FO
If people think this is a win for Brexit they need to remember that tariffs are being lined up for an island only populated by penguins. Yep that much thought went into this process. None. Just a kids maths project based on what the US owed each country.
If I was the EU (which I kind of am) I'd chuck the 10% saved from the yanks on all UK imports into the EU, thats how wars work yeah ?
Stop voting for stupid people. The thing is stupid people I.e. Brexiters don’t recognise other stupid people.
Being “only” half mugged compared to your neighbour and being happy about it, is how I’ve seen it best described.
Read the report commissioned by Best of Britain who had the effect of tariff imposition onUK outside and closer to The EU modelled . A very interesting read.
Re. the 25% tariff on UK cars exported to the US, a Brexiter just told me this: "On your point about the cars, if all these tariffs put more money in the Americans pockets, then they won't mind buying "our" cars at a higher price."
I actually just guffawed.
How they worked out the tariffs is mad. proper back of s fagpacket stuff.
Yep, it’s all just made up nonsense, the only purpose of which was to give the orange buffoon another few hours of wall-to-wall TV coverage and then be talked about as pundits and analysts try to make sense of what is - in essence - a load of bollox.
0.4% predicted damage to the economy from 10% tariffs 4% from Brexit. For the Brexiters reading this, that's 10x more damage from your self inflicted gunshot wound.
There’s no wind here, we still have 25% on steel and 25% on cars (same as the EU), our two biggest exports to the USA. The 10% is a token on the rest.
Classic right-wing tactics, destroy everything to benefit the wealthy elites, then give a teensy tiny bit back to ordinary folk and call it a massive success. Twats.
All this winning is making my head spin ,,,,what a monumental shitshow, how the fk have we got here,,,,,, ( rhetorical )
Totally agree. On another note why isn’t uncle Nigel explaining it all to us We need his unbiased economic and social skills now
After "punching ourselves in the face", only 'lightly' beaten with a stick! Result! Yay!!!
"on the other hand, fuck ‘em."👍
Since we are now under the cruel dominance of the USA can we conclude (as leavers did with the EU) that ‘they need us more than we need them’?
Has Johnson written any relevant articles recently?
Or, indeed, ever?
Also note that the list of British-owned car makers is rather short. I’m pretty sure GMA is British, but every other one I’ve checked is wholly or majority foreign owned.
metro.co.uk/2025/04/03/t...
what would happen if any of these countries sell off half of their US treasury securities ?
The UK exports £360bn of goods to the EU, on which we now struggle with big non tariff barriers, compared to £60bn to the US. Imagine looking at this sh1tshow and thinking it vindicates Brexit in any way. 🤡🤡🤡
2015 , I wound up a mate saying it was a great idea to vote for Brexit , because it was such a bad idea it was totally unworkable and only an idiot would push it through . Then Boris Johnson became prime minister .
The key “drivers” of brexit will no doubt be ensuring that they do very well from the weakening of the world economies. The people blindly following the rhetoric will not! If we’d paid more attention, and looked beyond our own nose ends we’d be in a much better place!!!
These tariffs are simply calculated by a formula produced by a chatbot. I suppose we should be grateful it’s not personal. But it also means that all that trade deal we-won’t-tax-google stuff and the “special relationship” had zero impact.
As someone who studied politics to a doctoral level one of the most depressing things about our current predicament is how utterly stupid it is.
