Reeves: UK will not be ‘buffeted around’ amid Trump tariff threats

The UK will not be pushed around by Donald Trump’s tariff threats, Rachel Reeves said as she defended Sir Keir Starmer’s attempts to cool tensions over Greenland.

The US president has threatened to slap a 10% tariff on imports from the UK and other European allies opposed to his efforts to annex the Danish territory.

The Chancellor said the UK had an economic plan which would “get us through challenging times” and the trade deal with the US would not be “undone”.

She was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where Mr Trump is due to make a major speech later on Wednesday.

Ms Reeves told Sky News: “Britain is not here to be buffeted around. We’ve got an economic plan, and it is the right one for our country.

“If other countries want to increase trade barriers, that is their choice, but we are determined to bring trade barriers down which is why this week I’m meeting with European, Gulf partners, Canadians to talk about how we can free up trade and make it easier for businesses to trade around the world.

“And on President Trump, 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.”

Sir Keir is not attending the Davos gathering but other world leaders on the receiving end of Mr Trump’s tariff threats and criticism have used the forum to speak out against his actions and threaten economic retaliation.

The Prime Minister has adopted a more cautious approach, insisting that issues of sovereignty are for Greenland and Denmark but stressing the closeness of the transatlantic relationship.

Ms Reeves said: “At the moment, no tariffs have been imposed and I think the right approach and the approach that our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has taken, over the last year or so, is to try and de-escalate and get the best deal for Britain.”

She said she was “confident that our approach and the approach that we’re taking in the national interest and our plan, which is the right economic plan for Britain, will get us through challenging times”.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband defended the Prime Minister’s decision not to travel to Davos, telling Sky News there were “all kinds of other things that he’s doing”.

He also praised Sir Keir’s “calm leadership”, saying this had secured the first trade deal struck by Mr Trump for the UK, but added the Prime Minister would say when he disagreed with the president, as he did on Greenland.

Mr Miliband said: “I think Keir Starmer’s leadership is absolutely right on this and I think at this stage, it’s about de-escalation and finding a way through this tricky situation.”

Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart said the dispute between Nato allies over Greenland was the most dangerous moment for Europe since 1945.

He told the Press Association: “There’s a risk that Nato is going to fall apart. I really hope that doesn’t happen. We must be doing everything we can to prevent it from happening.

“But if it does, it will probably mean that (Vladimir) Putin will win in Ukraine, and then we will have a very large Russian army on the outskirts of Europe, and Europe’s defence (is) simply not ready.

“And that’s the most dangerous thing to have happened since 1945, and we need to sort this out. So what we’ve been calling for is for the Prime Minister to convene an urgent emergency meeting of Nato so that we can discuss issues like Arctic security.”

Mr Trump’s trip to Switzerland comes a day after a he used a wide-ranging White House press conference to express uncertainty about Nato members coming to America’s defence and to repeat his claim that the US needs Greenland for security purposes.

He confirmed he would be travelling to Switzerland, saying “we have a lot of meetings scheduled on Greenland”, and “I think things are going to work out pretty well”.

Downing Street said there would be “engagement on all levels” but would not get ahead of any potential discussions when asked on Tuesday if the UK delegation would speak with the US at the event.

Mr Trump has threatened to hit Britain and other European allies with 10% tariffs from February 1 unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland and he has refused to rule out using military force to seize the island.