Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey condemns Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on UK exports, calling them “hugely damaging”. Donald Trump has announced a 10% trade tariff on all imports from the UK.
Report by Ajagbef. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Report by Ajagbef. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I think this is a disaster. The 10% tariff on UK exports and the 25% tariff on our cars
00:07is the hollowest of victories when you look at the tariffs that will impact the world
00:11economy and that global recession is going to wash up on our shores. Liberal Democrats
00:16believe we need an economic coalition of the willing where the UK works with our Commonwealth
00:22partners like Canada, with the Europeans and with people in Asia to stand together to improve
00:28our trade and to respond to this appalling set of tariffs from Trump. I think a 10% tariff
00:35on our exports and a 25% tariff on our car exports is not a win, it's hugely damaging
00:41and the tariffs on other countries, whether they're in Europe or elsewhere, they will
00:45hit our economy too. There'll be a global recession. This is devastating news. That's
00:51why Liberal Democrats believe we need to work with others against the bully Trump. He's
00:55trying to divide and rule. We need to come together, whether it's with Europe, with the
00:59Commonwealth, with friends and allies in the Far East. We need to trade more together.
01:04We need, for example, a UK-EU customs union back and we need to have trade agreements
01:09with others. That's the way to respond to President Trump being the bully that he is.
01:14Liberal Democrats believe you'll get more growth, you'll get more jobs if you look at
01:18alternatives. For example, a UK-EU customs union, trade deals with our Commonwealth allies,
01:24with those in the Far East. We need to show the bully Trump that we have alternatives.
01:29And I'm afraid what has been negotiated is welcome, but it's frankly a hollow victory.
01:35We need to trade more with other countries. Donald Trump doesn't seem to want that, but
01:40Liberal Democrats want that. We believe in free trade and a UK-EU customs union would
01:44really help that. It would send a signal that we want to trade. And I think we should look
01:49at trade deals with Canada, with Australia, New Zealand. I think we should look in the
01:54Far East. We need to make sure that trade deals work in our national interest. I'm afraid
01:58the Conservatives and Reform are cowering against Donald Trump. They want bad trade
02:04deals. We hit our farmers and our NHS. Liberal Democrats stand against that. President Trump
02:10is a bully. Everybody can see that. He's trying to divide and rule and it's going to be very
02:15bad for the British economy and the world economy. We need to work with others who continue
02:20to share our free trade beliefs and that's in Europe, it's with the Commonwealth and
02:25it's in the Far East. Liberal Democrats believe we should do two things. First of all we should
02:30work in a coalition of the willing with others to improve trade between us and Europe, us
02:35and the Commonwealth. And I'm afraid we do have to respond to President Trump. We've
02:40argued for example we should have tariffs on Teslas. Let's make sure Elon Musk, the
02:45richest man in the world and his company feel the reaction to these appalling bullying tariffs.
02:50This is huge bad news for the British economy and the world economy. The government may
02:56have negotiated just 10% but there's still 25% on our cars and I think it's the hollowest
03:01of victories because there's going to be a world recession if these go ahead. That's
03:06why Liberal Democrats believe we should work with others in an economic coalition of the
03:09willing, working with our European friends, our Commonwealth allies and those in the Far
03:14East to stand together against this bullying. He wants to divide rulers, we shouldn't allow
03:20him to.