Labour blasted Kemi Badenoch’s team for telling ‘untruths’ about trade deals signed this week – as Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds hailed the deals as “momentous”
Keir Starmer doesn’t just ‘talk the talk’ on protecting British Jobs, Jonathan Reynolds has said – as Labour blasted Kemi Badenoch’s team for telling ‘untruths’ about trade deals signed this week.
The Business Secretary hailed both the deal signed with India this week and the framework agreed with Donald Trump ’s US as “momentous”, saying they would boost jobs and wages.
“Make no mistake without our landmark Economic Prosperity Deal with the United States thousands of workers in the UK would have lost their jobs,” Mr Reynolds wrote for this newspaper.
“The siren voices of the extremes can claim all they want to be the voice of working people.
“But I know what matters is action, on wages, on security and opportunity for communities like where I grew up.
“Because as a Labour Government we don’t talk about backing British workers – we actually do it.”
Meanwhile Labour hit back at a string of claims made by senior Tories they say are “untruths”.
They include a claim from Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, that the US trade deal “handed America a veto over investment decisions in the UK” – which Labour said was “completely nonsense.”
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith claimed in an interview that the US deal “locks in” the 10% base tariff rate.
In reality, Labour said, the US and UK are still negotiating towards reducing the base rate – and Trump’s White House has indicated they may agree to scrap it if they felt they were getting enough in return.
And the party also highlighted Ms Badenoch’s claim that the India deal – which exempts some temporary Indian employees from National Insurance contributions – entailed “two teir taxes.”
Indian officials this week described the Tory leader’s response as “rubbish” – noting the measure was “on the table when she was trade secretary.”
“The Tories talked big on trade for a decade but failed to deliver whilst picking fights with our closest allies,” Mike Tapp, the MP for Dover and Deal said.
“ Kemi Badenoch never managed to seal deals as Trade Secretary so is left railing against each agreement that cuts tariffs to hide her failings.
“In contrast, after less than a year with Labour, Britain is front of the queue for this landmark deal with the United States, has opened new opportunities with India and is resetting relationships with Europe.
“ Keir Starmer is delivering the deals that boost British business, protect British jobs and support British workers.”
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‘We don’t talk about backing British workers – we actually do it’
By JONATHAN REYNOLDS, Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Just a few weeks ago, Mirror readers would have read stark warnings about thousands of jobs at risk of collapse in our iconic steel and car factories. But this is a Government in the service of working people and we will not allow working people to lose out because of global change.
Wherever you look this is a Government that has working people’s back. Our Employment Rights bill, opposed by Reform and the Conservatives, banned exploitative zero hours contracts. We delivered a pay rise for millions of the lowest paid workers. And acted to keep well paid jobs on our shores.
This Government took urgent, historic action by recalling Parliament to protect the British Steel site in Scunthorpe saving thousands of jobs.
And this week, we signed two momentous trade deals that boost jobs and wages and show how our Plan for Change is putting money back in working people’s pockets.
Our trade deal with India the fastest-growing economy in the G20 will deliver billions for the UK economy and boost wages by £2.2 billion each year every year.
Make no mistake without our landmark Economic Prosperity Deal with the United States thousands of workers in the UK would have lost their jobs. Jobs saved, jobs won but by no means job done.
The siren voices of the extremes can claim all they want to be the voice of working people. But I know what matters is action, on wages, on security and opportunity for communities like where I grew up.
Because as a Labour Government we don’t talk about backing British workers – we actually do it.