Yesterday morning, I woke up to the stark reality that Donald Trump has once again shot himself in the foot, imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and potentially the European Union. This move is a clear sign that Britain, despite the naïve optimism of some on the far-right or within the Reform Party, will not be spared. In the long run, we too will face tariffs, and we risk becoming a client nation under Trump’s empire-like vision of America. Unfortunately for Trump, he seems to idolize the likes of Caligula, the Roman emperor who waged war against the sea. I’m surprised he hasn’t sent his armies to conquer the ocean yet.
Britain, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and other sovereign nations must now band together and stand firm against this kind of bullying. We cannot allow even an inch of European land to fall under the influence of American tariffs and policies. We must not let Canada, our steadfast ally, become the 51st state of the United States. We must empower our colleagues in Canada and stand by their side.
As free, sovereign countries that cherish liberal democracy, we do not undermine each other. We do not bow down to bullies. If Donald Trump and his supporters wish to shape America into a nation more tolerant of far-right ideologies, then so be it. But we will not be bullied by countries that, while influential, are taking a dangerous path.
Canada has always been a loyal ally. It stood with us in the great wars and after 9/11. It has fought and sacrificed, proving its strength and loyalty time and again. We must protect our allies and uphold the values we all cherish. Trump does not represent the entirety of America, and he will not be in power forever. But we must make our stance clear now, showing that we stand with our allies and for our principles.
We will not be bullied into submission. We will not let far-right fascism take root in our societies. If Trump wants a trade war, he will face not just Britain, but all of Europe, Canada, Australia, and other allies. We will stand united and see how far he is willing to go.
Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping may share some similarities in their authoritarian tendencies, but we stand on the side of freedom and democracy. We must call out these dangerous ideologies for what they are and stand firm. If we do not, we risk losing everything that defines us as proud, sovereign nations.
Canada has a rich history, standing with us in times of need. We owe it to them and to ourselves to ensure that their sovereignty is never compromised. We must stand up now and show that we will not back down. A united front is our strongest defence against any form of authoritarianism.
* Mo Waqas is a vice chair of the Liberal Democrats' Racial Diversity Campaign and was the PPC for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East.
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11 Comments
Canada is more than a “loyal ally” It is a commonwealth country, and Charles III is its head of state as well as ours. It might be useful to ask Farage and the Conservatives to chose between Trump and the Commonwealth.
” It might be useful to ask Farage and the Conservatives to chose between Trump and the Commonwealth.”
Yes – like it!
Indeed – what ever happened to the lofty talk of ‘CANZUK’, with closer ties between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK post-Brexit?
Trump’s desire to make Canada his 51st state – initially thought to be a ‘joke’ but looking increasingly serious every time he repeats it – must surely put paid to the idea of a state visit to the UK. It would be unconscionable for the British government to oblige the King of Canada to offer hospitality to a man who seeks to eradicate Canada from the list of sovereign countries.
@Simon Horner It would be unconscionable for the British government to oblige the King of Canada to offer hospitality to a man who seeks to eradicate Canada from the list of sovereign countries.
Technically, as I understand it, the King of Canada and the King of the UK are separate legal entities that happen to both be the same person. A bit uncomfortable for him if His Majesty’s governments of Canada and the UK ask him to do conflicting things….
4 more years. Who knows what DT is really thinking.
The detail might change, might be mieleading but total domination is the goal.
Be patient. Be self interested when it comes to the USA.
Taking USA products off of the shelves… I like it.
Time to tip the Napa Valley wine down the sink. And why is it impossible to get Canadian wine in the uk, in particular the delicious Niagara Riesling?
Something that irritated me profoundly during Trump’s first term was his trip to Blenheim Palace (the birthplace of Winston Churchill) for a state dinner with the Queen. Remember? He kept Her Majesty waiting and humiliated Theresa May in the process. I’m sure it was just his usual tactic of showing how important he is. Then his helicopter finally hove into sight, reminding me of the film ‘Apocalypse Now’.
I’m sure I was not the only one incensed by this at the time. Starmer cannot refer to this kind of episode now because of the responsibilities of his position as prime minister, but we can.
There is a rich seam of British patriotism for us to be tap into here. Farage and the hapless Tories have snookered themselves. It’s not just a question of choosing between Trump and the Commonwealth (@Tristram Ward). Those guys and girls want Britain to be the 51st or 562nd state of the Union and George Orwell’s Airstrip One. Shout it from the rooftops!
Robert Reich writes: “An abusive dictator, Trump is employing two techniques to gain more power than any US president has ever wielded.
The first is to demonstrate that he can mete out huge punishments and rewards.
It doesn’t matter if the punishment or reward is justified. A 25% tariff on Canada? Hello?
It’s a demonstration of strength.
If prices jump in the US for oil and lumber from Canada or for fruits and vegetables from Mexico, no problem for Trump. Most Americans don’t understand how tariffs work, anyway. Trump will blame Canada and Mexico. And then threaten them with, say, 50% tariffs. Kaboom!
Which brings us to the second technique Trump is using to expand his power: unpredictability.
What makes an abusive parent or spouse, or an abusive dictator, or Trump, especially terrifying? They’re unpredictable. They lash out in ways that are hard to anticipate.
So, anyone potentially affected by their actions gives them extra-wide berth – vast amounts of obedience in advance.
Trump keeps everyone guessing. He demands Denmark sell Greenland to the United States. He chews out the CEO of the Bank of America at Davos for allegedly discriminating against conservatives. He attacks birthright citizenship.
What’s next? Who knows? That’s the whole point.
Trump says he’s doing this for American workers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He’s doing this for himself and for the world’s oligarchy, which, in turn, is busily siphoning off the wealth of the world.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/04/what-is-motivating-trumps-reckless-trade-war
There can’t be any doubt that Trump is anything other than a mouthpiece for the big US corporations and billionaires. Tariffs aren’t about saving jobs for US workers. They are about increasing the profits of Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos.
I do hope that our usually over compliant Labour Govt (at when it come to standing up against Big Business) will be more forceful with Trump on the tariffs issue. The UK is not a mercantilistic net exporter. There is no argument for tariffs.
The issue is solely about taxes paid by US corporations in the UK. They choose to operate here – presumably because they can make decent profits. Why do they think they need any special deals?
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/tax-cuts-musk-zuckerberg-bezos-trump-tariffs-deal-3524631
Given the pronouncements of the last couple of days, it would seem a suitable response to the US with respect to protecting our allies is to announce and take moves to give prefer to our non-US allies in our defence spending. Michael Heseltine was right to defend Westland…