Ed Davey hopes ‘buy British’ campaign will help Oxfordshire farmers
The Liberal Democrats leader is calling on the Government to “get behind British businesses”
Ed Davey has visited a farm in Bicester, calling on the Government to “get behind British businesses”.
They are campaigning for the government to take action in response to Trump’s tariffs by encouraging people to Buy British.
The party also are also calling for a raft of serious measures to ‘unleash the potential of our businesses’, including overhauling business rates, scrapping the jobs tax and fixing our trading relationship with the EU, as well as scrapping of the Family Farm Tax.
Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has rejected the idea saying: “I think everyone will make their own decisions. What we don’t want to see is a trade war, with Britain becoming inward-looking, because if every country in the world decided that they only wanted to buy things produced in their country, that is not a good way forward.”
"People should buy their local produce from their local farms as much as possible"
Liberal Democrat Leader, Ed Davey said: “I think people are very angry with President Trump, that he’s targeting a close ally with tariffs on our steel industry, car industry and all of our exporters.
“I’m not critical of the Government in terms of talking with the White House but what I am critical about is that they are not showing any teeth.
“You do that by working with out colleagues, that’s why we’ve called an economic coalition of the willing with our European and Commonwealth partners to maximise free trade elsewhere and stand up to the bully in the White House.”
Mr Davey also hopes the campaign helps local farmers in Oxfordshire saying that it is “certainly one of the aims”.
He says, “I think people should buy their local produce from their local farms as much as possible. We’ve got the best farmers in the world with the highest animal welfare standards and environmental standards, so it just makes perfect sense.”
Lib Dem MP for Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller said: “Liberal Democrats here in Oxfordshire and across England will always work hard to support our farmers, particularly in the wake of Trump’s tariffs that are so damaging to our small businesses.
“It’s why the Buy British campaign is critical: it’s the best safeguard against Trump’s trade war, and the only way to unleash the potential of our businesses by overhauling business rates, scrapping the jobs tax and fixing our trading relationship with the EU.
“Ministers also need to rule out making concessions to Trump that would damage our local farmers by slashing standards. We need to send Trump a clear message that Britain will not be bullied.”