Reacting to news that Donald Trump plans to impose a 10% tariff on the UK, Denmark and other European countries until “such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland”, Green MP Dr Ellie Chowns said:

“Donald Trump treats the international stage like a schoolyard playground, attempting to bully and brute force other countries into compliance with his imperialist agenda. The unhinged President’s latest threat to impose tariffs on the UK and a swathe of our European allies is an outrageous abuse of power and a direct attack on the principle of national self-determination, treating the future of Greenland as if it were a piece of spoils to be bought and sold.

“The UK must not be cowed. In an attempt to uphold Britain’s so-called “special relationship” with the US, the UK government has continuously appeased and emboldened the increasingly erratic President as he pursues a dangerous agenda of naked geopolitical vanity. This cannot continue. Chasing the White House’s favour will not secure Britain’s economic future; it leaves us exposed to the whims of a man with no respect for international law and order.

“If we are serious about protecting British jobs and businesses from sudden shocks like this, we need a different strategy: rebuild our relationships with our European neighbours, deepen co-operation across the continent, and rejoin the Customs Union so that our economy is defended by stable, reliable arrangements – not dependent on the fleeting favour of a single foreign leader.

“The UK government must show genuine backbone: publicly reject this brutish manipulation tactic by Trump, stand firm with Greenland’s right to self-determination, and urgently pursue closer, constructive ties with Europe that protect Britain’s long-term interests.

“Greenland cannot be bought – it’s time to prove that Britain can’t be either.”