Number 10 is in meltdown after Trump unveiled 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Downing Street isn’t ruling out retaliation should Trump follow through on tariffs on the UK, whilst EU minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has insisted today Starmer doesn’t need to choose between the UK and Brussels in a trade war, claiming: “It’s perfectly possible to cuddle with more than one person at the same time.” Though there is another way to avoid those tariffs…
Tory MP Julian Lewis put trade minister Douglas Alexander on the spot today in the Commons, asking if the UK would scrap the disastrous Chagos surrender deal—a move that Trump’s team already isn’t thrilled about—in exchange for tariff relief:
“If President Trump offered to cancel the tariff on steel imports in return for the UK throwing in the dustbin the appalling Chagos giveaway deal, would the Government agree?”
The minister didn’t rule it out:
“Tempting though it is to indulge in the hypothetical negotiating strategy as ventriloquised through (Sir Julian), I think consistent with the approach that we need to take a considered view of what is emerging…we should leave those in the good offices of the UK ambassador to the United States (Lord Mandelson) and the Foreign Secretary (David Lammy).”
Not a denial. So, the government could scrap a bad deal, save taxpayers’ billions, protect British territory and avoid tariffs—all in one go. Even if Attorney General Hermer thinks the special relationship has been over for years, there’s still time to prove him wrong…
Kemi Badenoch made a statement in the Commons this afternoon on updated business and trade statistics. To cries of “hear hear” from the Tory benches she spelled out some the UK’s trading achievements since Brexit, which include:
News that good was clearly too much for Labour to handle, and as soon as Kemi stood up, they all ran away. Leaving the opposition backbenches empty…
Julian Lewis and Badenoch had a bit of fun, the former noting that “there appear to be eight times as many people sitting on our front bench as on the entirety of the Labour backbenches – does she take that as a vote of confidence in the government’s positive message?” Badenoch came right back:
“It’s clear that Labour don’t like good news because as soon as there is any they exit the chamber unless they absolutely have to be here… the Honourable lady is blushing because she knows she knows it is true…“
If you can’t hack the heat, get out of the kitchen…
Julian Lewis responds following his sacking of the whip:
“In recent days, the official No 10 spokesman explicitly denied that the Government was seeking to ‘parachute’ a preferred candidate in to the chair, stating that it was a matter for the senior parliamentarians on the committee to decide. “It is therefore strange to have the whip removed for failing to vote for the Government’s preferred candidate.””
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced her speech on migration reforms at the IPPR:
“There’s no denying we meet at a difficult time for my party.”