Jonathan Reynolds has mocked Nigel Farage for wanting to reopen the coal mines in Wales, dubbing him an “absolute parody”.
The business secretary, whose grandfather was a coal miner, admitted that Reform UK are Labour’s biggest opponents – but said Mr Farage fails to understand “the pride in where we’re from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future”.
Speaking at a media lunch in parliament, Mr Reynolds also defended the UK’s plan for closer trade ties with the US, saying: “We might have different views but we have to engage with them”.
His comments come after Mr Farage announced his party wants to restart Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and “re-industrialise Wales”.
On a visit to south Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party’s long-term ambition if it comes to power.
The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections, where the party is looking to end Labour’s 26 years of domination.
But Mr Reynolds shot down the plan, telling reporters: “When I see someone like Nigel Farage go to Wales and say to those people, ‘I’m going to reopen the coal mines’ and he thinks that’s what working class people want – that is an absolute parody of what someone like Nigel Farage thinks that people like I grew up actually want.”
He added: “My grandfather was a coal miner, kind of much like everyone where I grew up… It was a position of real responsibility and family pride.
“He had one message for my dad, and that was ‘don’t go down the mine’. And [my dad] became a fireman.
“That’s the bit that our opponents don’t understand: the pride in where we’re from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future.”
Acknowledging that Reform is currently Labour’s biggest opponent, he said the challenge facing the government is to persuade voters that “mainstream politics can deliver for them”.
Turning to the US trade deal, Mr Reynolds said the UK was able to negotiate one before other countries because Britain has made an effort to understand America’s mindset.
“This is not US politics disrupting global trade. This is how global trade has disrupted US politics”, he said. “We might have different views but we have to engage with them.”
The business secretary also recounted one phone call with his US counterpart Howard Lutnick, where he said he was worried he was “going to sell the NHS” because of poor phone signal.
“The Woodhead Pass between South Yorkshire and Manchester is probably the only place in Britain with worse mobile phone reception than working in parliament….
“Howard starts talking, but because of the reception, every fifth or sixth word is genuinely cutting out of signal.
“I’m literally slightly worried I’m going to sell the f***ing NHS because of Britain’s telecommunications infrastructure. I didn’t. And I’m pleased to say we were the first country to get a deal.”
The deal, announced last month by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, will see British tariffs on steel and automotive exports to the US slashed in exchange for greater access to the UK for some American goods.
But the deal has still not been implemented, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to reduce tariffs.
Mr Reynolds said the UK is “ready to go” on enacting the deal, but is waiting for the White House to finalise it on their side.
The business secretary added he was “very hopeful” that the agreement would come into effect “very soon”, but acknowledged negotiations had not “always been easy”.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Labour are continuing to deindustrialise our towns and communities across the country. They don’t blink when we lose thousands of well-paid jobs in these crucial industries.
“Labour simply don’t understand working people. Reform will continue to call for the re-industrialisation of Britain and with it, bring back thousands of well-paid jobs.”