a good deal of pressure on me to change my position in relation to joining the war. Um, and I'm not going to uh change my position on the war. So, whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, I'm the British prime minister and I have to act in our national interests.
This was buil as an emergency speech, but what followed may have just crossed a political line many thought would never be crossed. Kstarma under pressure from global tensions, Donald Trump's public criticism and a volatile geopolitical climate stepped forward to reassure Britain. But we made it clear in the manifesto that um we wanted a closer relationship with Europe.
So that is perfectly consistent with our manifesto. Instead, he signaled something far more controversial, a deeper alignment with Europe that raises serious questions about Brexit, sovereignty, and Britain's global position. I'm ambitious that we can do more in relation to the single market because I think that's hugely in in our economic interests.
Obviously, this is a matter of negotiation and discussion with the EU. Was this leadership in a crisis or a quiet reversal of promises because what he says [music] and what he avoids could have major consequences. Watch this carefully.
If you want sharp, unfiltered analysis on UK politics and global power shifts, subscribe now because this is where the real story gets unpacked. Now, it's not going to be easy, clearly. And in the coming weeks, as you would expect, we will continue to assess the economic effects.
We will continue to stand up for the British national interest and we will continue to do what we must to guide our country calmly through this storm. However, it is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union. Now we have made progress on this front on agriculture, electricity, emissions trading and more.
But as the chancellor has rightly pointed out, Brexit did deep damage to our economy. And the opportunities to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore. So, in the coming weeks, we will announce a new summit with our EU partners.
And I can tell you that at that summit, the UK will not just ratify existing commitments made at last year's summit. We want to be more ambitious, closer economic cooperation, closer security cooperation, a partnership that recognizes our shared values, our shared interest, and our shared future. A partnership for the dangerous world that we must navigate together.
a world where this government will be guided at all times by the interests of the British people. Thank you. This is being framed as leadership in a crisis, but listen very carefully to the language because sometimes what matters most is what isn't said directly.
some of what you said about uh close relationships with Europe. Do you believe you said before that you don't think it's right for the UK to rejoin the customs union, are we heading towards more more of a rejoining of the single market? Is that something you think would improve Britain's economic future?
Well, I do think that um we should strengthen our cooperation on defense, security, energy, emissions, and the economy. And on the economy, the steps we've taken so far have been uh in relation to uh the single market. Uh and um I'm ambitious that we can do more in relation to the single market because I think that's uh hugely in our economic um interests.
Obviously, this is a matter of negotiation and discussion with the EU. Um but um the summit we have this year will not be just be a stocktake summit where we look at actually the 10 strands that we put in place last year. It will be a deliberate um ambition on our part to go further than that and to cooperate more deeply including in the economic um sphere.
So thank you Jessica. I've got Jack from the Sun. Jack.
Hi Prime Minister. Jack from the Sun. Can I just pick up on that point?
Do your manifesto commitments not to rejoin the customs union, free movement, or single market still stand? And you previously said from uh from this podium that you wouldn't be forced to choose between tethering Britain closer to either Europe or America, but it does seem that you are engaging with close negotiations with Europe and you have a deteriorating personal relationship with Donald Trump. So is it fair that you are actually choosing Europe over America?
Well, uh manifesto commitments remain. Um, but we made it clear in the manifesto that um, we wanted a closer relationship with Europe. So that is perfectly consistent with our manifesto.
Um, I'm not going to choose um, because I think it's in our interest to have a strong relationship with the US and with Europe, but I do think that when it comes to defense and security, energy, emissions, and the economy, we need a stronger relationship with Europe. Um I actually think that will help strengthen our relationship with the US because um successive [music] uh presidents have said that Europe needs to do more on their defense and security. I've long argued that with European colleagues that we should be doing more um and that's not just um for example on defense spend um although it is on defense spend it's also on how we spend how we collaborate cooperate um and that's why I've focused on deals for example that we've done with Norway in relation to frigots really good deal very good for trade very good jobs in the Clyde but really importantly interoperability of the frigots we can have our crews on their frigots, they can have their crews on our frigots.
That to me is the future of a stronger European defense, which is bringing together the capability that we've had. So, we don't just get um each country developing its own capability. It's an ongoing discussion.
I spoke at the Munich conference about it. I spoke at the Jeff meeting about it last week in Finland that we have to go beyond just a numbers game um and be much more integrated in the way that we work on defense and security. Thank you, Jack.
And I've got Joe from Bloomberg. Joe, Minister, um, President Trump said yesterday that he wouldn't come to the aid of the UK anymore in his True Social Post. How seriously do you take that threat from our main ally?
Well, it's very important that um, we're clear there's been a a good deal of pressure on me to change my position in relation to joining the war. Um, and I'm not going to uh change my position on the war. So whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, I'm the British prime minister and I have to act in our national interests.
Um I should say that on defense and security and intelligence, we're obviously working closely with the US um as we always do. Um and in relation to the planning on the straight of Hormuz, of course, that involves talking to the Americans um as well. So, as I say, whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, my job is as British Prime Minister to concentrate on what's in the British national interest.
That's what's guided me through this conflict so far. It will continue to guide me as we go forward. Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you. If you think these moments deserve deeper scrutiny, like the video, subscribe, and share it because the more people see this, the harder it becomes to quietly move past it. Now tell me, was this a necessary decision in a dangerous world or something voters were never meant to fully notice?
