Donald Trump warns he could rip up trade deal with UK

{"text":[[{"start":11,"text":"Donald Trump has warned he could rip up his trade deal with Britain as tensions rise between the US and UK over the Iran war and its economic fallout."}],[{"start":23.28,"text":"The US president said the trade deal, agreed with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in May 2025, “could be changed”, as he continued to fulminate against a lack of support from London in the conflict with Tehran."}],[{"start":38.980000000000004,"text":"The trade deal, which provided relief for UK carmakers and to the steel and aluminium sectors, has been hailed by Starmer as one of his biggest economic achievements since becoming prime minister in 2024."}],[{"start":55.120000000000005,"text":"But Trump said it was “sad” that the bilateral relationship had deteriorated after Starmer refused to join the war against Iran. “We gave them a good trade deal, better than I had to, which can always be changed,” he told Sky News."}],[{"start":73.01,"text":"“It’s the relationship where when we asked them for help, they were not there when we needed them.” He added: “They were not there and they still aren’t there.”"}],[{"start":82.7,"text":"At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer responded by saying he would “not get dragged into this war, it is not our war”. "}],[{"start":92,"text":"He added: “A lot of pressure has been applied to me to take a different course . . . I’m not going to change my mind, I’m not going to yield.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":101.09,"text":"Rachel Reeves, UK chancellor, also renewed her criticism of the war in Iran, saying it was having an “immense” impact on economies around the world and that it had been a mistake to end diplomatic negotiations. "}],[{"start":115.72,"text":"She said there were no clear aims for the attacks started by Israel and the US. “I am not convinced this conflict has made the world a safer place,” she told a CNBC Invest in America Forum in Washington on Wednesday. “We want to see a de-escalation of the crisis because our growth will be higher and inflation will be lower if this conflict comes to an end.”"}],[{"start":139.2,"text":"Reeves emphasised the “deep ties” between the US and UK and insisted that friends “don’t have to agree on everything”, pointing to the upcoming visit of King Charles to the US as a sign of good relations."}],[{"start":155.23999999999998,"text":"But she stressed that even if the Strait of Hormuz were reopened, there had been damage to regional oil and gas infrastructure that would last “beyond the duration of this conflict”."}],[{"start":167.27999999999997,"text":"Tensions have escalated in recent days ahead of a meeting between Reeves and Scott Bessent, US Treasury secretary, in Washington on Wednesday."}],[{"start":178.50999999999996,"text":"Bessent insisted at a meeting of the IMF that the war in Iran would be worth some short-term pain if it prevented Iran acquiring nuclear weapons."}],[{"start":188.58999999999997,"text":"“I wonder what the hit to global GDP would be if a nuclear weapon hit London,” Bessent said to the BBC. “I am less concerned about short-term forecasts, for long-term security.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":201.51999999999998,"text":"Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said Trump was behaving “like a mafia boss running a protection racket”. Davey has repeatedly called for King Charles’s state visit to the US later this month to be cancelled."}],[{"start":217.84999999999997,"text":"Andrew Griffith, Conservative business spokesperson, said: “Whether Starmer likes it or not, the US is Britain’s single largest country trading partner. It is businesses and workers who will pay the price if trade barriers increase on his watch.”"}],[{"start":235.97999999999996,"text":"Despite US-UK tensions, trade talks have continued with Washington in recent weeks, including the signing this month of an agreement on pharmaceuticals and medicines pricing."}],[{"start":248.22999999999996,"text":"Last May’s UK-US trade pact was hailed at the time as a good deal from Washington’s point of view, particularly because it opened new UK markets for agricultural exports. "}],[{"start":261.31999999999994,"text":"The White House hailed “a significant expansion in US market access in the UK, creating a $5bn opportunity for new exports for US stakeholders, including US farmers, ranchers and producers”."}],[{"start":277.1499999999999,"text":"Additional reporting by Anna Gross"}],[{"start":289.0899999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776323277_3164.mp3"}