Prime Minister Keir Starmer had hoped to spend Monday marking a new milestone in the UK’s much-promised reset with the European Union five years after Brexit. Instead, he received a dramatic reminder of how much harder that will be with Donald Trump back in the White House.

European markets have already fallen in reaction to the US president announcing a 25% import tax on goods from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on goods from China.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that although Britain was "out of line" when it came to trade he thought it may be able to avoid tariffs, adding of the imbalance: "I think that one can be worked out".