Labour have accused Kemi Badenoch of fighting with her “top team” after the Conservative leader and shadow business secretary shared different views on the UK’s new trade deal with the US.
Mrs Badenoch claimed that the UK had been “shafted” by the agreement, while Andrew Griffith said it was “not the real thing” but welcomed the measures that would protect jobs.
Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the “historic” deal would save thousands of jobs in the car and steel industries which had been threatened by the White House tariffs.
In a post on X shortly after the deal was announced, Mrs Badenoch said: “When Labour negotiates, Britain loses.
“We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.
“Keir Starmer called this ‘historic’. It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted!”
As part of the deal, US import taxes which had threatened to cripple British high-end carmakers were cut from 27.5% to 10%, while the 25% tariff on steel has been removed entirely.
The blanket 10% tariff imposed on imports by US President Donald Trump as part of his sweeping “liberation day” announcement remains in place, but talks are ongoing in a UK effort to ease them.
Mr Griffith, who speaks for business and trade in Mrs Badenoch’s shadow cabinet told the Commons that the agreement is “Diet Coke deal, not the real thing”.
“Conservatives do welcome the news of a reduction in selected tariffs on things like automotive exports and steel today. Any reduction is better than no reduction,” he said.
“Jobs and investments were at risk and all mitigation is to be welcomed.”
Mr Griffith later added: “From the little the Government has shared, it’s clear that the deal doesn’t go anything like far enough. It’s a Diet Coke deal, not the real thing.
“It’s not the comprehensive free trade agreement that a true plan for growth requires.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer’s Labour Government has secured an historic UK-US trade deal that will boost British business and save British jobs.
“Kemi Badenoch can’t even agree a position with her own shadow cabinet. It’s no wonder she so badly failed as Conservative trade secretary.
“While Badenoch fights her top team and Reform, Labour will continue fighting to secure British jobs and support British workers, making people better off through our plan for change.”
