Speaker’s Statement

11:34:00

Before we come to Treasury questions, I have agreed to a request from the Chancellor to make some brief comments about the global financial situation, following which the shadow Chancellor and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson will be allowed to respond and ask a question. I will then call other hon. Members to ask the questions on the Order Paper in the usual way. Other Members may well wish to refer to the Chancellor’s comments in their supplementary or topical questions, and I will take a more liberal view of the scope of supplementary questions than is usually the case. I call the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As you say, I would like to make some brief remarks on the current economic situation. The United States decision to impose tariffs has had, and will continue to have, huge implications for the world economy. These implications have been reflected in the reaction we have seen in global markets in recent days, which the financial authorities have of course been monitoring closely. This morning, I spoke to the Governor of the Bank of England, who confirmed that markets are functioning effectively and that our banking system is resilient. I know, too, that this is an anxious time for families, who are worried about the cost of living—we have your backs. British businesses are worried about what a changing world will mean for them—we have your backs, too. This Government are clear-eyed that our response to global change cannot be to watch and wait, but instead to act decisively, to take the right decisions that are in our national interest, protecting working people. All the decisions that we make as a Government will be underpinned by the stability of our non-negotiable fiscal rules. A trade war is in nobody’s interests. That is why we must remain pragmatic and cool-headed, and pursue the best deal with the United States in our national interest. That remains our priority. It was part of the discussion that I had with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week. But we have been clear that nothing is off the table. That is why we will continue to back British businesses during these uncertain times, particularly in industries that are most affected, as we rebuild our industrial base here in Britain. We showed that backing yesterday when the Prime Minister and I announced new measures to give British car makers certainty and stability, and to support them on the transition to electric vehicles. We have put forward plans to support our life sciences sector by cutting back the time it will take to set up clinical trials in the UK. It is why we are working with our international allies to reduce barriers to trade right across the world. Over recent days I have had discussions with my counterparts in Canada, Australia, Ireland, France and Spain, and with the European Commission. We will pursue those talks in earnest. Tomorrow, I will hold talks with the Indian Government as part of our two nations’ economic and financial dialogue, as we seek to secure a new trade deal with India. Finally, we must go further and faster in our mission to kick-start economic growth. I know that the challenges facing the global economy, and their potential impact, could be profound. As a Government, we must step up to that challenge to deliver security for working people through our plan for change, which is underpinned by stability, reform and investment—prioritising the builders, not the blockers; reforming our public services, not defending the status quo; investing in our long-term infrastructure, not cutting it for the short term. Security for working people, renewal for Britain—that is our focus, and that is what this Government will deliver.

I call the shadow Chancellor.

I thank the right hon. Lady for advance notice of her comments. This is a time of great concern for millions of people up and down our country, for businesses, and, as an open-trading nation, for our economy at large. Free trade has been the bedrock of prosperity for our country, and for many countries around the world, for decades. It has raised billions of people out of poverty. Tariffs are the enemy of free trade, and we on the Conservative Benches will do whatever we can to assist the Government in getting those tariffs down. Having said that, of course we will never cease to be an effective Opposition who vigorously hold the Government to account—not least on the disastrous decisions that they have already taken in respect of our economy. We will be responsible when it comes to these matters, particularly where market sensitivities are engaged. I want to ask the right hon. Lady the following questions. First, could she provide further details of the US negotiations and specifically whether further meetings with Scott Bessent and others have been arranged that involve her? Secondly, which areas beyond tariffs are being discussed in those negotiations? Thirdly, which sectors beyond cars and life sciences are being considered for potential Government support? Finally, could she update the House on what options there are for protecting sectors of the economy that might be affected by the dumping of goods as a consequence of trade diversion?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that response and for his offer to work constructively. I know from my time as shadow Chancellor that those moments when we can work constructively together in the national interest, whether in response to covid or in supporting Ukraine against the aggression of Russia, are when this House is at its best. The shadow Chancellor asked for further details in a number of areas. Discussions are ongoing across a range of Government Departments, including the Treasury, with the United States, and I will be meeting US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shortly. Beyond tariffs, we are discussing a range of different areas, but the focus is on reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, with a particular focus on those sectors that are subject to the higher tariffs. Although the 10% tariffs are lower than those for many other countries around the world, and we welcome that, the additional tariffs on cars, on steel and potentially on life sciences pose a real challenge to our country, because those are some of our biggest export markets. That is why we made the announcements yesterday, and in those sectors—automotives, life sciences and steel—we will continue to take the action that is necessary, working in partnership with business and trade unions, to make sure we are addressing those issues. We are also using institutions such as the British Business Bank, the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance to help businesses through these times. The shadow Chancellor also mentioned concerns around dumping. We are working with colleagues around the world to understand those implications, but our first priority is not to create more trade barriers but to reduce the ones that exist today.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

People up and down the country will be incredibly concerned about what Trump’s trade war means for their living standards and their communities. At the same time, people want to show that Britain is not going to take Donald Trump’s trade tariffs lying down. We welcome the Chancellor’s announcement that the Government will be working further and faster with our allies abroad. Can she confirm that any new trade deals will be brought before this House for a vote before they are ratified? At the same time as working with our allies abroad to create new export markets, will the Chancellor and the Government commit to a “Buy British” campaign as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home?

I thank the hon. Lady for those questions. This is a time for pragmatism and cool heads, not to rush a response. We are working closely with business. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade announced in the House last week a call for evidence on the response that businesses are looking for. Ratcheting up barriers to trade and ratcheting up tariffs will not be in our country’s interests, whether in terms of inflation or, indeed, for supply chains. We need to have cool heads and think about the national interest, not give knee-jerk reactions. We are very much focused on doing deals with other countries around the world. There is the EU-UK summit on 18 May. We are hosting the economic and financial dialogue with Minister Sitharaman, who is coming to London today for those conversations, and those discussions are ongoing with a number of countries. Of course, any treaties would be brought forward for ratification by this House. In terms of buying British, I think everyone will make their own decisions. What we do not want to see is a trade war, with Britain becoming inward-looking, because if every country in the world decided that they wanted only to buy things produced in their country, that would not be a good way forward. Our country has benefited hugely from access to global markets, and we will continue to want to be able to do that, because that is in our national interest, for working people and businesses in this country.