US vice president says Trump ‘loves the UK’ and is working ‘very hard’ with Keir Starmer on a trade deal
Business and trade minister Sarah Jones has welcomed comments from US vice-president JD Vance that the US is “working very hard” with the UK on negotiating a trade deal.
Appearing on LBC radio, the Labour MP for Croydon West said:
The conversations are ongoing, I can’t update more than that. We know we’re in a good position. We are having good conversations.
The secretary of state [Jonathan Reynolds] has been having good conversations with his partners, and there is a deal there to be done.
We’re certainly working very hard with Keir Starmer’s government. The president really loves the UK. He loved the queen. He admires and loves the king. It is a very important relationship. And he’s a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [the UK].
But I think it’s much deeper than that. There’s a real cultural affinity. And of course, fundamentally America is an Anglo country. I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries.