Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?

President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a trade deal to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it

Illustration of Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, a map of Europe and the 'Get Brexit Done' slogan
Keir Starmer is trying to court both closer ties with the EU and free trade with the US, but a global trade war may force him to pick a side
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

As Keir Starmer attempts a "reset" of post-Brexit relations with the EU, Donald Trump's re-election – and the trade war he risks with the tariffs he's threatened – looms over negotiations.

The prime minister has promised to improve Britain's relationship with Brussels. He is pursuing deals on security and defence, while still working with the US president-elect on improving trade with the US (the UK's biggest trade partner) – despite Labour's staunch support of the Democrats.

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.