Government resists calls for ‘buy British’ campaign amid Trump tariffs

Downing Street resisted calls for a “buy British” campaign in light of US tariffs, after the Chancellor slapped down the idea and suggested it could be a barrier to trade.

Rachel Reeves warned against the UK becoming “inward looking” as she faced calls in the Commons to encourage the public to buy more British goods and produce.

No 10 appeared to echo the Chancellor’s stance, but suggested it was possible to take a “two-pronged” approach on trade, being an “open-trading” nation while also backing British businesses.

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

As she appeared in the Commons on Tuesday morning, Ms Reeves was asked by Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper whether the Government will launch a “buy British” campaign in response to US tariffs.

The senior Lib Dem told MPs: “People up and down the country will be incredibly concerned about what (US President Donald) Trump’s trade war means for their living standards and for their communities as well, but at the same time people want to show that Britain is not going to take Trump’s tariffs lying down.”

Ms Cooper added: “Will the Chancellor and the Government commit to a ‘buy British’ campaign as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home?”

Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, launched a campaign to promote British businesses and produce on Monday.

Ms Reeves replied that “ratcheting up barriers to trade, ratcheting up tariffs will not be in our country’s interests, whether that’s in inflation or indeed for supply chains”.

She added: “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.”

Asked by journalists if the Prime Minister would echo his Chancellor’s sentiment, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “Well, of course, we’re an open-trading nation.

“That is something the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have previously said, and we want to see fewer trade barriers around the world, such that we’re continuing to support our economy.

“At the same time, we also continue to prioritise and support British manufacturers, British producers.

“We have a significant programme of support, whether it’s farmers, whether it’s manufacturers, as yesterday with supporting the car industry.

We are not going to tell people where they buy their stuff, but the Government is always going to back British producers, British manufacturers

“So, we can take a two-pronged approach.

“We can be an open-trading nation whilst also supporting British producers and manufacturers.”

Asked why the Government would not make this an official campaign, the spokesman replied: “Well, it’s up to people to decide where they want to buy.

“We are not going to tell people where they buy their stuff, but the Government is always going to back British producers, British manufacturers.”

Elsewhere, Nigel Farage signalled he would not eat chicken washed with chlorine if it was imported from the US into Britain as a result of a future trade deal.

Asked during a visit to County Durham if he would eat chlorinated chicken, the Reform UK leader told reporters: “I have got a confession to make: I eat chlorinated salad – I bought a bag last week from a major leading supermarket.

“Every single bag of salad you buy in Britain is chlorine-treated.

If we want to free the whole thing up, provided food is labelled properly, consumers can make their own decisions

“Do I like the sound of chlorinated chicken? No, not very much, but do you know what the most important thing with all of this is?

“If we want to free the whole thing up, provided food is labelled properly, consumers can make their own decisions.

“Frankly, we wouldn’t be buying much chlorinated chicken because the cost of it being produced in America and being shipped here means it wouldn’t be competitive anyway.”

In a 2020 research article, consumer affairs organisation Which? compared the use of chlorine to wash salad leaves and chicken.

Which? said salad is sometimes washed in a solution containing low levels of chlorine to eliminate harmful bacteria, and is rinsed with water afterwards.

By comparison, it said concerns around chlorine washing chicken in the US stemmed from the practice’s use to clean up poor hygiene and welfare, while often having no impact on the levels of harmful bacteria.

The UK banned the practice of chlorine washing chicken in 1997.