Nigel Farage as Prime Minister? Be careful what you wish for - Andy Brown

Take for instance the gap between the promises that Donald Trump made about what he would be able to fix on day one and the actual consequences of his decision making so far. Central to everything that he claimed would happen was the idea that he would Make America Great Again as jobs returned, prices came down in the shops and prosperity was restored to long neglected communities.

The first set of economic data is now in. They show that during 2024 whilst sleepy Joe Biden was running the economy it recorded economic growth of 1.6 per cent in the first quarter, 3.0 per cent in the second, 3.1 per cent in the third and 2.4 per cent in the fourth. By comparison the economy under Trump declined by 0.3 per cent even before the impact of the tariff wars and the sacking of government employees began to kick in.

The promise was economic success from day one. The reality is the exact reverse with consumers facing major rises in the cost of many items, factories facing shortages and price rises of components that need to move across borders to keep American jobs active. Despite hefty cuts, government finances aren’t improving because of the contracts being handed out to billionaires. Stock market rises and falls are rarely a great way to judge economic success as they can be temporary but crashes in the sales from the very factories that the policies were meant to protect and expand have been real and significant. It is easy to lose markets during a tariff war. It isn’t easy to get them back or to establish a new factory. Particularly when it depends on components coming from countries that have been on the receiving end of very high tariffs.

There is something very appealing about the idea of making a country great again by bringing back industry and commerce that has been lost to other countries. Actually doing it comes about as a result of the government working in combination with the private sector to make the right decisions about collective investment. No country ever prospered by clinging on the longest to outdated fossilised technology. It takes wise choices about supporting new technology, not rash statements about “drill baby drill” politics.

Many of us in Britain recall how bold the promises we heard were when we were being persuaded to vote to leave the European Union. Back then it was Britain that was going to be made great again and we were going to return to the world stage as a major independent player making our own deals and forging ahead in protecting our own best interests. That is a set of promises that no one can be blamed for responding positively to. Many people were very keen to have some of that good stuff.

We are now five years into the brave new world and has anyone spotted a noticeable improvement in our economy or wellbeing? We were told we were going to have friction free trade and travel with the EU and still open up new opportunities with the rest of the world.

The restriction on trade and travel to the EU have turned out to be very real and are continuing to hamper British business on a daily basis.

The much vaunted deals with India and the US are much less valuable and favourable for the UK. The lack of tariff free access to our largest and most local trading partner continues to be a serious deterrent to investment in new factories in Britain.

Instead of being a newly respected leader on the world stage Britain is giving every sign of being caught friendless in the middle of a dangerous trade war.

Starmer seems reluctant to agree a good deal with the EU in case he angers Trump. He has chosen instead to accept a deal with Trump that leaves us worse off than when he took office.

Instead of being great again Britain’s leader has become so very weak that our Prime Minister daren’t stand alongside real friends like Canada and impose retaliatory tariffs. He seems to only be capable of thanking Mr Trump for not being even nastier and inviting him to take tea with the King. Who is also supposed to be the King of Canada.

This is not a situation that can be fixed by electing Nigel Farage as Prime Minister. He was the man who put us in this desperately weak position by leaving the EU and has actively advocated other policies that produced damaging results.

If anyone doubts that then please consider the outcome of one other leader's reckless economic promises. The Liz Truss budget was described by Nigel Farage as one of the best ever. Be careful what you wish for.

Andy Brown is the Green Party councillor for Aire Valley in North Yorkshire.