Rachel Reeves hits back at Trump over windfarms after he dubs them a ‘con job’
Rachel Reeves has hit back at Donald Trump over windfarms after he dubbed them a "con job".
Listen to this article
The Chancellor insisted that "never again can we have the boot of Putin on our neck" over our energy policy and it was vital to boost our own homegrown energy.
She dismissed comments made by the US President as he landed in Scotland for a trip to his golf courses.
In an interview with LBC, she:
- Hailed pubs as a national treasure as she unveiled more measures to help them stay afloat
- Dodged questions on a bank holiday as No10 indicated that Britain would not have one to celebrate the Lionesses historic Euros win
- Vowed she was also proud to be English
- Blamed poor growth on global uncertainty on tariffs and ongoing conflict around the world
- Said the priority in the Middle East was getting aid into Gaza, despite calls to recognise Palestine as a state now
The President flew in for a four-day visit to his Scottish golf course on Friday, and blasted what he called "wind farms" ruining the views.
He said: "The whole thing is a con job. It’s very expensive.
“Today I’m playing the best course, I think, in the world, Turnberry,” he said, in front of a giant picture window looking out on its fairways, dunes and the sea beyond...
“It’s probably the best course in the world. And I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills at the end of the 18th. I said, ‘Isn’t that a shame?’”
But ministers have insisted that both on and off-shore wind are a key pillar of Britain's industrial strategy, and route for growth.
Read more: Keir Starmer to meet Donald Trump to discuss Gaza, Ukraine, and trade
Read more: Trump rails against 'con job windmills' that 'ruin the view from his golf course'
The Chancellor spoke to LBC as she kicked off on her summer tour to woo businesses ahead of her autumn budget.
She'll be hailing infrastructure investments including money dished out in the spending review that she desperately hopes will boost slow growth.
She hit back at President Trump's assessment of wind-farms, and said it would help bring down bills.
The Chancellor said: "We've seen from the last few years in Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine that we've got to build our own homegrown energy infrastructure here in Britain. And that includes solar farms, it includes onshore and offshore wind, because never again can we have the boot of Putin on our neck, which was the experience after Russia invaded Ukraine and energy bills went through the roof, that is still having an impact on the cost of living.
"And investment in clean homegrown energy, boosts our security, brings jobs to Britain and ultimately brings down bills for working people. And that's the policies that we are pursuing as a government."
The President and Prime Minister will discuss pressing issues at his Turnberry golf course this lunchtime, with Gaza, Ukraine and tariffs high on the agenda too.
She said she was "horrified" by the scenes unfolding in Gaza and it was "essential to have a permanent ceasefire to get aid in".
When pressed on whether recognising the state of Palestine - as France and hundreds of British MPs have demanded - she insisted: "Well, of course Gaza will be on the one of the things that our Prime Minister wants to discuss with the President of the United States. There's huge concern right across our country.
"The issue at the moment is about getting aid in and the immediate humanitarian need for food, for medicine, for sanitation. That's the immediate concern that I think everybody shares at the moment."
The Prime Minister is expected to present a fresh British led-plan for a ceasefire to allies over the coming days, which may include plans for more air-drops of aid.