Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to officially support a “British Buy” campaign in response to Donald Trump prices.
Prime Minister’s spokesman said the United Kingdom was “an open evaluation nation” and that the government “was not going to tell people where they buy their business.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told deputies that such a campaign would be “looking for the interior” and was “not the way to follow”, in response to Liberal Democratic calls to encourage the public to buy more British goods and products.
But the Chancellor confirmed that the government examines Whitehall’s purchasing rules to give an advantage to British companies that bid for government contracts.
The government has repeatedly stressed that it will not be precipitated in reprisal measures after the United States has slapped an import tax of 10% on almost all British products entering the United States, in addition to the deductions already announced by 25% on aluminum, steel and cars.
But the ministers say that they accelerate the measures aimed at helping industry to resist the global economic storm they planned to announce later this year in a new industrial strategy.
During the Treasury questions in the communes, the Chancellor said: “This government is clearly in the eyes that our response to world change cannot be to look and wait, but rather to act decisively – to make the right decisions that are in our national interest, to protect workers.”
She added that the government’s priority was to conclude a trade agreement with the United States and that the talks with the White House were underway.
“A trade war is in the interest of anyone. This is why we must remain pragmatic and cool and continue the best agreement with the United States which is in our national interest,” she added.
Lib Treasury’s spokesperson Daisy Cooper urged the Chancellor to show the people concerned about their cost of living that “Great Britain is not going to take elongated Trump prices”.
And she called on the government to get behind the campaign of her party for a new “Made in Britain” logo for consumer products supported by an advertising blitz.
Reeves told Lib Dem deputy “writing obstacles to trade, increasing the prices that will not be in the interests of our country, whether in inflation or even for supply chains”.
She added: “In terms of British purchase, I think everyone will make their own decisions.
“What we do not want to see is a trade war, Great Britain becoming an inner appearance, because if each country of the world decided that they did not want to buy things produced in their country, it is not a good path to follow.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman also rejected the “Buy British” campaign, but added that the government “will always support British producers, British manufacturers”.
The Chancellor, however, confirmed reports in the Daily Telegraph that the government examines the supply rules to promote British companies.
In response to a call from the Conservative MP John Hayes to use government purchases to support British and British products, she said that the Minister of the Office Pat McFadden “exercised new reforms to the rules of supply to allow this.”
She added: “We want more British companies to earn contracts, we want more small businesses in Great Britain to earn contracts.”
In February, the government stated new rules aimed at facilitating small and medium -sized British enterprises to tender for government contracts, based on the legislation adopted by the previous conservative government.
According to the Telegraph, the government will go further when it will reveal its industrial strategy and its examination of public spending later this year.
The main public sector infrastructure projects – such as transport, offshore wind and defense – will be invited to “buy British,” said the newspaper.
