Government resists calls for ‘buy British’ campaign amid Trump tariffs
Downing Street resisted calls for a “buy British” campaign in light of US tariffs, after the Chancellor slapped down the idea and suggested it could be a barrier to trade.
Rachel Reeves warned against the UK becoming “inward looking” as she faced calls in the Commons to encourage the public to buy more British goods and produce.
No 10 appeared to echo the Chancellor’s stance, but suggested it was possible to take a “two-pronged” approach on trade, being an “open-trading” nation while also backing British businesses.
As she appeared in the Commons on Tuesday morning, Ms Reeves was asked by Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper whether the Government will launch a “buy British” campaign in response to US tariffs.
Concern
The senior Lib Dem told MPs: “People up and down the country will be incredibly concerned about what (US President Donald) Trump’s trade war means for their living standards and for their communities as well, but at the same time people want to show that Britain is not going to take Trump’s tariffs lying down.”
Ms Cooper added: “Will the Chancellor and the Government commit to a ‘buy British’ campaign as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home?”
Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, launched a campaign to promote British businesses and produce on Monday.
Ms Reeves replied that “ratcheting up barriers to trade, ratcheting up tariffs will not be in our country’s interests, whether that’s in inflation or indeed for supply chains”.
She added: “In terms of buying British, I think everyone will make their own decisions.
“What we don’t want to see is a trade war, with Britain becoming inward-looking, because if every country in the world decided that they only wanted to buy things produced in their country, that is not a good way forward.”
Priority
Asked by journalists if the Prime Minister would echo his Chancellor’s sentiment, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “Well, of course, we’re an open-trading nation.
“That is something the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have previously said, and we want to see fewer trade barriers around the world, such that we’re continuing to support our economy.
“At the same time, we also continue to prioritise and support British manufacturers, British producers.
“We have a significant programme of support, whether it’s farmers, whether it’s manufacturers, as yesterday with supporting the car industry.
“So, we can take a two-pronged approach.
“We can be an open-trading nation whilst also supporting British producers and manufacturers.”
Asked why the Government would not make this an official campaign, the spokesman replied: “Well, it’s up to people to decide where they want to buy.
“We are not going to tell people where they buy their stuff, but the Government is always going to back British producers, British manufacturers.”
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We all know that Toryform types would give away the UK wholesale to the USA in a heartbeat. Traitors. However, we now have a Labour government allowing the USA to treat the UK as a satellite state of its’ own whilst, conversely, still slapping tariffs on it so we now know that there will NEVER be a government in Westminster that will govern for and stand up for us, the people. We are either in the US club so no tariffs or we are not so counter tariff. This middle way amounts to a pathetic capitulation and the worst of… Read more »
Leaderless, Anarchy in the UK ‘let the public decide’…
Buy Mexican Fender and Canadian Godin Guitars…
Rudderless…adrift in the Gulf of America…
And totally lacking a Moral Compass…
I hope the next Llywyd understands the word Secular and puts a stop to the regime we have at present…
Buy British?? That would be very difficult. I thought all our assets had been sold to foreigners. It’s certainly the case in the car industry. The only solely British-owned car manufacturer is Morgan and the price of one of those is probably prohibitive to most of us. All other ‘British’ cars, e.g.: Jaguar, Range Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Vauxhall, Mini, Aston Martin etc. have been sold to foreign companies.
The days of Captain Black and the Standard Car Company, and his connection to the Artro and Llanbedr makes for a great story…
In fairness, if you buy a Nissan juke, qashqai or Toyota corolla, you’re supporting a predominantly uk supply chain, there are multiple businesses across UK and Wales that input into the nissan, Toyota and also other supply chains. The profit goes mostly abroad, but at least we benefit from the jobs
The deeside engine plant for Toyota supports close to 1000 jobs alone in wales
Most people are happy if it’s assembled here with imported components when it’s the coffee shop serving freshly baked cake assembled from Italian flour, Swiss chocolate and Spanish lemons.
Buy British? Ddim diolch. Buy Welsh. Got the Jack – put it back!
It’s good to know that we have a strong leader who is doing all he can for the country that elected him. Just a thought but what is happening about the military bases used by US as part of the protection that country is giving us? Can’t we take them back as they are now manned by military forces of a country that is no longer our ally?