Donald Trump’s plan to prioritise America promises ‘pain’ for Great Britain, according to political commentator Ben Habib.
Speaking on GBN America, Habib said Keir Starmer should mimic the US president’s agenda to avoid being “taken to the cleaners” economically.
But the Prime Minister appears at odds with the new president ideologically and Habib has little faith in Starmer following his counterpart’s lead.
“We should have our own independent foreign policy”, Habib said on GBN America.
Trump’s plans could ‘send Britain to the cleaners’, Ben Habib warned
GB NEWS / PA / REUTERS
“I think what Donald Trump is doing for America is putting the US first, and there will be pain in that for the United Kingdom.
“What we’ve got to recognise, and this is on his domestic policy, is that if we don’t mimic that, we’re going to be taken to the cleaners economically.
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Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible at his first inauguration in 2017Getty“As I say, young, bright individuals will all flock to the US because it will offer them a much better home.
“This isn’t about me saying, ‘I love Trump so the UK should follow what Trump wants’, I’m saying his agenda is the right one and it will cause us real pain unless we do the same agenda.
“It also happens to be an agenda which I have been campaigning for over the last 4-5 years.”
It comes after Trump issued a stark warning to global businesses, declaring they will face tariffs if they don’t manufacture their products in the United States.
Ben Habib spoke on GBN America
GB NEWS
Speaking via videoconference at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, the US president delivered a clear ultimatum to companies worldwide.
“My message to every business in the world is very simple: Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth. But if you don’t, you will have to pay a tariff,” Trump said.
He announced plans to reduce the corporate tax rate from 21 per cent to 15 per cent for firms manufacturing in America.
The president specifically criticised the European Union’s regulatory system, citing his own failed real estate project in Ireland as evidence of bureaucratic obstacles to investment.
Trump also demanded NATO nations increase their defence spending to five per cent of GDP, far above the current two per cent threshold.
“I’m also going to ask all NATO nations to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP, which is what it should have been years ago,” he told the Davos audience.
Later at the Oval Office, Trump questioned whether the US should spend anything on NATO, stating: “We are protecting them. They’re not protecting us.”
He accused the EU of unfair trade practices, claiming: “The EU does not take our farm products, does not take our cars, yet they send cars to us by the millions.”