'Brexit Britain' relegated to 'bit-part player' in trade war as three key powers emerge

to a "bit-part player" on the world stage with three key powers emerging in its place, an expert has said.

using rules penned in Washington DC and adopted by global powers. Despite the US emerging as the world's only superpower following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr Trump believes globalisation and free trade has diminished its standing. In a sensational move, strongly rejected by most economists, he slapped tariffs on virtually every nation on Earth that exports into the US. While and the were among other countries are considering retaliatory tariffs, the UK government has taken a more tentative approach - almost relieved to have been slapped with just a 10 per cent import tax.

"Trump has this vision and he realises time is not on his side," said University of Buckingham politics professor Anthony Glees. " He's almost 80 and showing it. He feels he has to get on with it."

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But while the UK's power on the global stage wanes, three other powerhouse economies have stepped up to the challenge to secure trade. Prof Glees added: "The truth is that there are only three big trade regimes in the world, the USA is the strongest with its GDP at $28tr, the EU at $20tr and China at $18tr. If he can break the EU and China, America will be secure for the rest of the 21st century.

"The UK's GDP is just $3tr. We're shrimps in the fight between the USA and China, watching as whales decide how best to tear chunks out of each other.

"The big danger here is that history shows that tariff policies are linked directly to aggressive nationalism. Both in the 1880s when the German Reich introduced tariffs and in the 1930s when the USA and then Nazi Germany did the same, wars followed swiftly. If America turns in on itself, we are at massive risk from . Putin is enjoying every second of this mega psychodrama.

"There are those who think that Trump is simply hitting China with the biggest 'weapons' he has - an extra 50 per cent on top of the 34 per cent already activated if China dares to 'retaliate' because he wants to end with a deal which will be a compromise, but still give the USA most of what it wants."

Prof Glees also stated he believed Prime Minister "clearly thinks two contradictory things at the same time." He added: "On the one hand, he believes that Trump's tariff policy means a definitive end to globalisation as we've come to know it [he's puffed the virtues, as he sees them, of tariffs for more than 40 years].

"On the other, Starmer thinks Trump can be appeased if he's not threatened and not dissed in any way and that a deal is possible if we take our punishment gracefully, and 'kiss the rod' that is used to thrash us. The EU seems to be following Starmer's lead on this.

" Britain is on its own, we're just a bit player here, despite King Charles's invite and Trump's mother being Scottish. China has vowed to 'fight this to the end'. Xi thinks he can take a big hit to its growth because China is now so rich and has had such massive growth in the past decade that even if it stalls because of Trump's tariffs, it will be fine."

Meanwhile, Mr Trump seems determined to stick to his tariff plan, despite growing concerns from allies and business leaders. His critics believe the damage to the US economy could lead to inflation and higher prices for consumers while supporters argue they are a blunt tool to return manufacturing jobs to America while addressing trade imbalances across the globe.