At a press conference on Monday, 19 January 2026, held in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats—aimed at pressuring European nations to drop their opposition to the proposed U.S. annexation of Greenland—U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that his government’s approach to dealing with Trump had been inspired by the “pragmatic” possum.

Mr Starmer went on to elaborate:

“Britain has much in common with the ‘shrewd’ possum: both are relatively small, vulnerable, and largely defenceless against dangerous predators. Our survival over the ages is a fascinating tale of unprincipled compromise with unrelenting—if often unpalatable—elements of our environment, punctuated by brief periods of opportunistic conquest when circumstances have favoured us.”

“Continuing the proud British tradition of dressing up dastardly acquiescence in lofty language to conceal abject indignity, my government is committed to adopting a firm but ductile approach to dealing with the Trump administration, eloquently summarised as the ‘dead possum’.”

“The aim is to display such spineless servility—masquerading as politeness—that even the most insecure bully is repulsed by the thought of the close engagement required to deliver the punishment one seeks to avoid. At the same time, one must remain vigilant for any opportunity to deliver the sort of pompous, snide remark that may elude a boorish bully while affording plausible deniability against accusations of total capitulation in the future.”

“If only Neville Chamberlain had adopted a sufficiently obsequious approach with Hitler, he might never have felt compelled to waste the effort of seeking to conquer Britain. As a keen student of history, I am careful to avoid the mistakes of my predecessors.”