Rachel Reeves Slaps Down ‘Buy British’ Campaign By Warning Against ‘Inward-Looking’ UK

Rachel Reeves rejected the Liberal Democrats’ “buy British” campaign amid the ongoing turmoil from Donald Trump’s tariffs.

While unveiling taxes on more than 60 countries’ imports on April 2, the US president imposed a 10% tax on British goods going into America.

This is what the president described as the “base rate” – but it comes on top of a global 25% levy on cars and steel products.

So the Lib Dem deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper asked the chancellor to “commit to a ‘Buy British’ campaign as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home” in the Commons today.

But Reeves hit back: “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.”

The prime minister’s spokesperson echoed Reeves’ words, telling journalists that the government will “always back British manufacturers”, but it was up to individuals to decide what they wanted to purchase.

Asked if the government would recommend the public avoid American produce, he said that would not be in line with the UK being an open-trading nation.

He simply said the government was focused on support British industries.

Cooper later made her frustration over the government’s response clear, accusing Reeves of being “completely out of touch”.

“The chancellor’s comments are an insult to businesses being pushed to the brink by Donald Trump’s trade war,” she said.

“This is completely out of touch with the British people who are rallying behind local businesses in their time of need.

“Instead of talking down our high-streets, the government needs to send a clear message to the White House that they stand squarely behind British businesses and against Trump’s damaging tariffs.

“We Liberal Democrats have been clear that we want to see the government going further and faster on working with our European and Commonwealth allies at the same time as launching this Buy British campaign as part of a national effort to boost British businesses at home and abroad.

“Buying British is a powerful way that people can get behind local businesses and show that as a country we won’t give in to Donald Trump’s bullying.”