US trade deal isn't certain to happen, Labour frontbencher warns after crunch talks

A Labour frontbencher has said a trade deal with the US is not certain.

The Government is seeking an agreement with the White House that would tackle Donald Trump's damaging tariffs. Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said: "I think an agreement is possible, I don't think it's certain and I don't want to say it's certain... Far better to have the right agreement than to rush and to have a hasty agreement for the sake of having one."

But he added: "There is no fundamental reason why we can't reach a good agreement with the United States that serves the interests of the UK and the US very well." Mr McFadden said he was "hopeful", but said: "We're not going to sign something just to have a signing ceremony, that's really important."

The Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster said high-level talks between the two nations have been positive, but refused to commit to a timeframe for any agreement "There's a serious level of engagement going on at high levels," he told Sky News.

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"We're taking it seriously." On Friday Chancellor held meetings with her US counterpart, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which have been described as "upbeat and positive".

The need for a deal came into sharp focus after slapped 25% tariffs on steel and car imports and 10% on all other goods. Ms Reeves has vowed not to agree to a deal which is not in the UK's national interests.

In an interview with The before her visit to Washington DC, the Chancellor said the UK will have a number of red lines - notably farming standards and online safety - that it is not prepared to compromise. Asked if she was prepared to walk away if these are crossed, Ms Reeves said: "Absolutely. We're not going to do something that's not in our national interest."