Donald Trump is unlikely to impose tariffs on UK trade, says the Finance Minister

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A senior Chancellor of the Exchequer has predicted that Donald Trump will not impose heavy tariffs on the UK, as Labor insists it can do business with the incoming US administration.

When asked if the UK has any plans to deal with trade tariffs from the incoming Trump administration, Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “I don’t think we will be in that position. ”

“We shouldn’t look at the inauguration of President Trump as a risk, or a bad thing for the UK. It could be a very good thing in many ways,” he told Sky News on Sunday.

Sir Keir Starmer’s central administration in London wants a working relationship with the new government in Washington.

Members of his cabinet, however, have in the past called Trump “reckless and ignorant”, “a complete moron”, “a huge threat”, “the worst president in history” and ” a racist, misogynistic, self-identifying person” .

Starmer’s party angry Trump’s friend when about 100 Labor officials went out to the US to campaign for Democrats earlier this year.

The prime minister has since gone out of her way to write a pragmatic letter, telling the Financial Times on Friday that she has a “constructive” relationship with the new president.

But Sadiq Khan, the Labor mayor of London, threatened to derail that reconciliation effort on Sunday when he warned of “resurgent fascism” on the eve of the inauguration of the next US president.

Khan wrote on Sunday at The observer newspaper that the west was in a “dangerous period” with the rise of the “right” in many countries.

He wrote: “European countries are under the influence of extreme political parties that oppose democratic institutions, foreign citizens and truth-based media.”

“In Germany, the AfD is on the verge of success in the federal elections next month. In France, the National Rally is leading in the presidential elections. And, of course, in the United States, Donald Trump is back.”

The last time Trump was in the White House there was a public feud between him and Khan, whom he called a “stoner” for criticizing his presidency.

Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “It’s really not the business of foreign politicians to start making disrespectful and derogatory comments about Trump-elect.” and Sky News.

Patel is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, along with fellow Conservatives including former prime minister Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, the Tories are seeking his ear along with Reform UK, which has produced positive policies on issues such as zero and immigration and whose leader Nigel Farage is close to the new president.

On the other hand, only one Labor politician has been invited to the event: Lord Maurice Glasman, an academic who said at the weekend there was “genuine working-class enthusiasm” for Trump.

Jones said he doubted that Trump would block the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson, the former business secretary, as the UK’s ambassador to the US against the idea that he might challenge the appointment.

“I mean . . . I think somebody said something at Mar-a-Lago and it’s probably being spread by some politicians who would like to cause a stir,” he said.

One Labor official said “there has been no sign or indication from Trump himself that this could happen”.