Danny launches 'buy British' campaign

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Danny Chambers, has launched a ‘Buy Local, Back Britain’ campaign to support local businesses in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariffs announced this week (April 2nd).

Danny Chambers said:

“Trump has launched a nonsensical and hugely damaging trade war across the entire world. That means it will affect businesses here in Winchester, across Hampshire and the rest of the country. We need to rally in support of local businesses at risk from the economic shock caused by Trump’s delusional attack, including local farmers, high street shops and services.”

Further distress has been caused to farmers across the Meon Valley after it was reported in the Times that tariffs on US beef, chicken and pork would all be slashed in a proposed agreement between Trump and the UK. 

Danny Chambers said: “We know that trade deals, particularly the potential ones with the US, threaten to undermine our high animal welfare standards that we have spent years working so hard to establish. If we allow products that are produced to lower standards—such as hormone-treated beef or chlorine-washed chicken—to become the norm, that will undercut our farmers.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling on the government to come forward with a raft of measures to help businesses stay afloat and protect high streets like Winchester’s, including scrapping the jobs tax and overhauling business rates.

It was recently estimated that Trump’s tariffs could wipe out up to 1% of GDP which would push many British businesses to the wall. The measures announced by the US President last night (2nd April) will see 10% tariffs on UK exports and 25% tariffs on all automotive exports to the US.