Kemi Badenoch insisted Britain has been “shafted” by Sir Keir Starmer’s US trade deal. The Prime Minister hailed a “historic day” following the conclusion of the US-UK trade agreement.
But the Tory leader and former trade secretary said: “When Labour negotiates, Britain loses. We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs. Keir Starmer called this ‘historic’. It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted!”
The Government has been pursuing a deal with the US to reduce the impact of sweeping tariffs imposed by Mr Trump last month, which placed a 10% levy on all UK exports and a 25% charge on steel, aluminium and cars.
Speaking to the US President on the phone today, Sir Keir said the US-UK trade deal was a “fantastic, historic day” for the two countries.
He said: “This is a really fantastic historic day in which we can announce this deal between our two great countries, and I think it’s a real tribute to the history that we have of working so closely together.”
Sir Keir added: “This is going to boost trade between and across our countries. It’s going to not only protect jobs, but create jobs, opening market access, and as you say, Donald, the timing couldn’t be more apt, because not only was it 80 years ago today that victory came for Europe after and at the end of the Second World War, but of course on that the UK and the US stood together as the closest of allies.”
The US President said the agreement was a “great deal for both countries”.
Mr Trump said the “final details” of the agreement were still being “written up”, adding: “The actual deal is a very conclusive one we think, just about everything has been approved.”