JD Vance: ‘good chance’ of UK-US trade agreement with Trump administration
JD Vance has said the US is optimistic it can negotiate a “great” trade deal with the UK.
In an interview with online outlet Unherd, the US vice president told Sohrab Ahmari:
We’re certainly working very hard with Keir Starmer’s government. The president really loves the UK. He loved the queen. He admires and loves the king. It is a very important relationship. And he’s a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [the UK].
But I think it’s much deeper than that. There’s a real cultural affinity. And of course, fundamentally America is an Anglo country. I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries.
The comments come just weeks after the Trump administration imposed a blanket 10% tariff on imports from the UK, with higer rates on specific sectors like automobiles.
Key events
Minister: government preference is for another ‘private sector partner’ for British Steel
Business and trade minister Sarah Jones has said it is the government’s preference to involve another private firm in the running of British Steel, rather than permanently nationalise it.
Appearing on Sky News, she said that “we’re being really careful to do this correctly because we don’t want to be spending taxpayers’ money in a way that would be in any way wasteful”, adding “that’s why our preference is for a private sector partner to come in.”
Jones did not rule out the involvement of a different Chinese firm, despite senior Labour figures urging the government to review Chinese investment in UK infrastructure.
She told viewers:
At the moment, I’m not going to say yes or no to anything that isn’t at the moment on the table or being looked at.
Whatever the future for Scunthorpe, we want to make sure we can keep primary steel-making, we can keep steel-making in our country and we can grow that industry, not see the continued decline that we’ve had over recent years.
