Reynolds has appeared on GB News to discuss tariffs. Ellie Costello asked if the business secretary could provide a time frame for the much-briefed UK-US economic deal. He couldn’t…
“Well, look, I can’t give you a timescale because a lot of that is in the gift of the President of the United States. But on this point about what’s a strong response, right? A strong response is a one that is in the UK’s national interest and our national interest is in doing a deal with the US to remove these pressures and strengthen that relationship that’s not available to every country in the world.“
Earlier he said it was “not inaccurate” to say broad agreement had been reached, which officials say could take months and may not reduce the current tariff rate. The Online Safety Act, which kiboshed previous talks under the Tories, has reared its head again. Ofcom’s cost to the taxpayer can now be measured in percentage points of GDP…
Reynolds went into more detail on the impact of “goods that would have gone to other countries” now coming to the UK and “undercutting” UK goods: “If you think about the steel tariffs that have already been announced, we already have those safeguards in place (a 25% tariff above a quota). So we have our own tariffs, so goods which would have to other countries which come to to the uk to undercut us, we can put those protections in place.” It’s a mercantilist’s world, now…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”