The man who persuaded Donald Trump to unleash the hugely damaging global tariffs plan which put the US and western allies on the verge of an economic meltdown has launched an extraordinary attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Peter Navarro described Britain as a “compliant servant of communist China” and warned it is in danger of having its “blood sucked” dry by Beijing in an interview with a UK national newspaper.
But the tariffs tsar, who has been under severe scrutiny over his trade policies which have destabilised the US, has himself come under attack from sources close to the administration.
In response to the interview with The Daily Telegraph, an adviser told The Independent: “Navarro is crazy and most people in the White House see him as a dangerous influence on the president.”
Downing Street has declined to comment about the latest attack by a close ally of the president.
While Trump himself has been very positive about his relationship with the UK and Sir Keir, it did not save the UK from being included on the tariffs list with 10 per cent basic charges for exports to the US and 25 per cent on automobile products.
Added to that, vice president JD Vance and close Trump ally Elon Musk have launched a series of attacks on Sir Keir with claims Britain no longer has freedom of speech. The issue has become so toxic that it could get in the way of a trade deal between the UK and US.
Other attacks included briefings against Sir Keir’s choice of ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson.
Lord Mandelson almost had his credentials rejected because of his past business relationship with Beijing while visits to China by senior ministers including chancellor Rachel Reeves have provoked anger across the Atlantic.
Mr Navarro said: “If the Chinese vampire can’t suck the American blood, it’s going to suck the UK blood and the EU blood. This is a very dangerous time for the world economies with respect to exposure to China.”
He added: “And let’s face it, the UK has been an all too compliant servant of the Chinese Communist Party because of the string-laden gifts that China gives as a way of spreading its soft power.”
Mr Navarro believes that China may try to dump excess steel and other products on the UK after the Trump administration put 165 per cent tariffs on its exports.
“As the US tries to get fairness from the biggest cheater, China, the UK and the EU have to be very vigilant about becoming dumping grounds for the products that China would otherwise sell to America,” he said.
There have been question marks over the UK’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party with attempts to get Chinese investment in nuclear and the 5G network.
The issue came to the fore recently when the government was forced to pass emergency legislation to take ownership off British Steel from a Chinese campany that was on the verge of closing its plant in Scunthorpe down.
