A Labour minister was mocked this morning for “sucking up to [Donald] Trump” but getting nothing in return.
The UK, along with the rest of the world, will be hit with swingeing tariffs on the goods it sells to America from tomorrow, which the US president has dubbed “liberation day” for his country.
That is despite business secretary Jonathan Reynolds leading negotiations in Washington in an attempt to agree an economic deal which would see the UK exempt from the import charges.
The government’s approach to the issue has been markedly different from other countries, with ministers refusing to retaliate in the hope of not offending the US president.
On Radio 4′s Today programme, presenter Nick Robinson told Reynolds: “That sucking up to Trump didn’t work, did it?”
Reynolds replied: “We have engaged with the US on the potential for a deal because that is in the UK’s national interest and would be mutually beneficial to the US and the UK.”
After Robinson told him “it’s not going to happen”, the minister said: “Only the president will know exactly what action the US is going to take tomorrow.
“You’re right to say it might not be possible for any country in the world to be exempted from the initial announcements, but I do believe the work we’ve done means the UK is in the best possible position of any country to potentially reach an agreement.
“I do believe UK businesses support the calm-headed approach, the desire to engage. to remain at the table while we can potentially reach an agreement.”
Robinson then hit back: “So you’re saying the sucking up goes on, then. You’re still trying to get a deal.
“Where [Canadian prime minister] Mark Carney is standing up to the president, where the EU is going to pick a fight with the president and slap tariffs on American imports to Europe, you’re saying ‘we don’t want to offend the man, let’s keep going in the hope we do get a deal eventually’.”
The minister said: “Nick, standing up for the country, doing a strong response to this, is about pursuing your own national interest and the UK’s national interest is in reaching an agreement.”
He added: “It’s not about sucking up to anyone, it’s not about not responding, it’s about pursuing our national interest. That is what the government is doing and while there is a chance of delivering that, I think that is the right approach.”
