Rachel Reeves' Strong Warning to Trump: Britain Will Not Be Buffeted Around

Rachel Reeves warned Donald Trump that Britain would not be “buffeted around” as UK-US relations soured over tariffs and trade talks. The Chancellor said it was up to other countries if they wanted to put up trade barriers after the US president threatened tariffs against European countries in his pursuit of Greenland. She appeared to rebuff suggestions from US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Davos that there were “glitches” in the trade deal between the US and the UK. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, she said: “We worked last year to get a trade deal and as the US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said when I saw him yesterday he doesn’t see any reason why that trade deal should be undone.” The special relationship has been put under increasing strain since president Trump announced plans to impose extra 10pc tariffs on Britain and other European countries at the weekend unless he can take control of Greenland. Since then he has also criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s sale of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and urged the Prime Minister to “straighten out” his country. Ms Reeves said Sir Keir would “try and de-escalate” as he seeks “the best deal for Britain” in the turmoil. She said: “Britain is not here to be buffeted around. We’ve got an economic plan and it is the right one for our country.”