This article was first published on 7 April 2025 in The Herald at https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/25065721.friends-like-need-tough-decision-europe/
By Martin Roche
Donald Trump’s style of diplomacy is typically financially transactional and frequently bullying. In negotiating a trade agreement with the UK, the President is not going to change his spots. His tone may be friendly and his words soft, but he’ll want Donald Trump to win. The balance of any deal must favour Trump. For him, there’s no point in negotiating unless he comes out top dog and is seen globally to be top dog.
In the short time the American President has been back in the White House his way of doing business has been all about “what’s in it for America”.
Not only has he destabilised the global economy, but his habit of almost daily shifting the ground – the terms of engagement – has added to the chaos. Stock markets have tumbled, governments rocked, and business confidence slumped.
Trump’s way of politics sees Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ efforts to spark a UK recovery dealt a substantial blow. Brexit made us poorer. Trump makes us poorer still.
Labour ministers say the UK is in the best possible position to win trade deal concessions from Trump because there is an almost equal balance of trade between the UK and the US. That did not stop him last week putting 10% tariffs on all UK goods imported by the US.
Will the UK be the first G7 nation to embrace the new US way of doing business with a trade deal, or ‘economic prosperity deal’ as it’s now named?
Will Sir Keir Starmer stand smiling with Trump in front of the world’s media, putting the UK’s stamp of endorsement on the Trump regime?
We are judged by the company we keep. Let’s look at the Trump way of government.
He has cast aside lessons in diplomacy learned over thousands of years. Instead of measured and well-mannered exchanges with other states he favours a belligerent, confrontational tone and language that offends and belittles. It’s an approach that seems designed more to make enemies than friends.
On the domestic front, people with the legal right to be in America are being arrested without known cause or because their protests oppose US foreign policy.
The heroic war deeds of Native and Afro Americans are being erased from the record. Many of these servicemen fought and died for Europe’s liberation from the Nazi jackboot. Senior black serving officers, men and women, have lost their jobs.
Law firms with inclusivity programmes face losing government contracts unless they drop such policies. One firm that has capitulated to the demand has agreed to provide up to $40 millions worth of free work to the US government. You might call it blackmail.
Radio stations funded by the US government to spread the word of democracy, peace and freedom across the globe are being closed.
Canada, Greenland and Panama are the targets of a new America with territorial ambitions.
Canada is a monarchy, and its head of state is our very own King Charles. Canada will remain a monarchy until the people of Canada decide otherwise.
It is rumoured the UK might offer America associate membership of the Commonwealth. An America that covets, insults and threatens Canada is surely not fit for any involvement with the Commonwealth, of which the King is head?
In an attack on our neighbours and friends in the EU, Trump says it was set up to damage America. There is not a shred of truth in that assertion. The EU has been a steadfast ally of the USA.
Trump knows the UK has been weakened by Brexit. It is knowledge he will use to squeeze every ounce of American advantage from a trade deal.
The president will want beneficial trade and regulatory terms for American cars, software, media platforms, IT hardware, food and drink and, of course the US healthcare industry.
The American health sector, including private hospital operators, pharmaceutical makers, software firms and health insurance companies see the NHS as a potential honeypot. They see a system ripe for privatisation.
In treating with Trump, the UK risks become a commercial vassal of the US, trapped inside a system structured to always favour America. And the closer we get to the US the harder it becomes to reset our trade with our nearest neighbours and most trustworthy friends in Europe.
The blindingly obvious way to go is to rejoin the EU. We know how to do business in Europe. We know the rules and how they work. We helped make many of them. We’d have full access to Europe’s giant consumer, public procurement and business to business markets. Its rapidly growing defence market would open to us. Most of all, we share with the majority in Europe a similar outlook on how democracy works and how the global order should look.
Donald Trump will not like the UK preferring Europe over America. He is likely to retaliate. Decoupling the UK from the USA has significant risks that cannot be lightly dismissed. We can’t avoid making a difficult choice.
There is medium-term pain for us whichever we go. But Trump’s love affair with protectionism and his antipathy to Europe and the free trade model is not in our national interest.
Drawing ever closer to the EU will strengthen and grow our economy, giving us greater political muscle in the world. It will help shield us from the capriciousness of Donald Trump and the growing might of the Chinese economy.
Our Brexit isolation makes us vulnerable and exposed. Europe is not a perfect answer, but it is the nearest to perfect that’s credible. Part of managing the risks of this new world is to be found in a concrete and meaningful rapprochement with the EU.
Martin Roche sits on the Executive Committee of the European Movement in Scotland. He had a career in international public relations.
The European Movement in Scotland is committed to promoting the essential European value of free speech. Consequently, we regularly publish articles by leading academics, journalists and others discussing issues germane to Scotland’s place in Europe. Such articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Movement in Scotland.