Government decision to engage with Trump ‘validated entirely’, says top Starmer ally

Reynolds also chastised opposition parties, including the Liberal Democrats, who have called for the U.K. to distance itself from the Trump administration, saying: “You can say that if you’re the opposition, but that’s not serious.

“The defense of our country, our economy, thousands of jobs depend on that relationship.”

His comments come two weeks after Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain, which saw the two countries sign a tech pact that will see more than £150bn of inward investment to the U.K.

The two countries also signed a trade agreement in May 2025, which was partially implemented in June.

Reynolds also discussed some of the difficulties in engaging with the Trump administration, saying that “there’s not always an alignment” between the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and the country’s Commerce Department.

He added that the decision to go ahead with automotive and aerospace tariffs was “so important” to the country in securing a deal, adding that while the U.K. had to concede on beef and ethanol liberalization, the former was “reciprocal” and granted the U.K. “tremendous” market access in the U.S.