Caroline Lucas was asked by Sky News host Trevor Phillips if the reduced rate imposed on to the UK was a reason to celebrate leaving the EU.
It comes as Keir Starmer pledged to only sign a trade deal with the US that is in the UK’s “national interest,” as he warned about the impact of Trump’s tariffs.
Starmer said the import taxes announced by the US president last week – which have prompted economic turbulence across the world – would pose a “huge challenge for our future”.
The UK is hoping to sign an agreement to limit the impact on the UK, which has been hit with a 10% “baseline” import duty, with a 25% tariff on British cars.
Lucas
Lucas said: “I can’t believe you’re asking me that question seriously. If we were still part of the EU, we’d be so much better off. Brexit cuts our GDP by about 5%. These tariffs will impact our GDP up to 0.3%. So the costs of leaving have been much greater.”
“We now face a double-whammy. Out of the EU, we are facing trade friction, losing up to £100bn a year. Now our ‘special relationship’ is no better than that of an island full of penguins. We’re in the cold, and must [align] with EU allies.”
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Related: EU firms could sidestep US tariffs using this route as stock market slumps
