‘Good chance’ of UK-US trade deal with Trump administration, says JD Vance – UK politics live

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Minister renews call for bin dispute in Birmingham to end

After the Unite union voted yesterday to reject a pay offer from Birmingham city council, business and trade minister Sarah Jones this morning reiterated the government’s call for the dispute to end.

Appearing on the BBC Breakfast programme, she said:

Fundamentally what needs to happen now is the strike needs to be called off. Unite need to accept the offer that’s on the table. It’s a good offer and that is what we are asking them to do, and that is the way we’re going to get back to normal in Birmingham.

Now I know that other councils are sort of coming in to support, that there is logistical support from the Army and that some private sector support is already there, but of course, it’s completely unacceptable, the images are awful and people have enough to worry about in their lives without having to worry about rubbish collection alongside it.

So our message loud and clear is Unite need to call off the strike, accept the deal, and let’s get back to normal, which is what people expect and what people deserve.

Government ministers today will be taking stock of some not great economic news, as the number of workers on UK company payrolls has fallen at the fastest pace since the height of the Covid pandemic, and UK business confidence appears to have fallen to its lowest level in over two years.

My colleage Richard Partington writes:

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of people employed in at least one job paid through pay as you earn fell by 78,000 in March after a revised fall of 8,000 in February.

Reflecting a slowdown in the jobs market, the latest snapshot showed annual pay growth rose slightly in the three months to February and remained at historically high levels. Regular pay, excluding bonuses, rose to 5.9%, from a revised 5.8% in the previous rolling three-month period to the end of January.

Despite the drop in the number of workers on company payrolls, the ONS said its official unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.4% in the three months to February.

It should be noted here is currently a caveat around ONS labour market data, with the validity of some of its data being questioned.

Minister welcomes 'positive' comments on possible UK-US trade deal from JD Vance

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.

But as to when that will be done I wouldn’t be able to tell you, but it’s positive that the vice-president is positive about our negotiations.

JD Vance: 'good chance' of UK-US trade agreement with Trump administration

JD Vance has said the US is optimistic it can negotiate a “great” trade deal with the UK.

In an interview with online outlet Unherd, the US vice president told Sohrab Ahmari:

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.

The comments come just weeks after the Trump administration imposed a blanket 10% tariff on imports from the UK, with higer rates on specific sectors like automobiles.

Welcome and opening summary …

Good morning, and welcome to our live UK politics coverage for Tuesday. Here are your headlines …

• Business and trade minister Sarah Jones has said that government expenditure on rescuing British Steel is already budgeted for, and the government would prefer to bring in another “private sector partner”

• Senior Labour figures have urged the government to review Chinese investment in UK infrastructure in the wake of the British Steel crisis

• UK business confidence has fallen to its lowest level in over two years

• It is the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, meaning Labour has broken its promise to bring legislation to parliament to enact the Hillsborough law before that date

Parliament isn’t sitting, but campaigning for local elections in some regions of England in May continues – Ed Davey will be in Cambridgeshire and Nigel Farage will be giving a campaign speech in the north east.

It is Martin Belam with you here today again. You can reach me at [email protected] if you have spotted typos or what you consider to be errors or omissions.