PM urged to focus on UK-EU trade and stop ‘cosying up’ to Trump

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticized for “cosying up” to US President Donald Trump and urged to start focusing on securing a good UK-EU trade deal as the government outlined its objectives for future talks with the US expected to begin later in March.

This comes as the EU and the UK have put into motion post-Brexit negotiations over the future relationship and trading partnership with David Frost, the prime minister’s Europe adviser, heading to Brussels on Monday.

The negotiations shall be led by Crawford Falconer, the chief trade negotiations adviser at the Department for International Trade (DIT), with talks likely to alternate between London and Washington.

The DIT claimed a transatlantic trade deal would deliver a £3.4bn boost to the economy, increasing trade flows between the UK and the US by £15.3bn.

The DIT said it expected the “biggest winners” from a deal with Trump to be manufacturers of ceramics, cars, food and drinks as well as professionals such as architects and lawyers, vowing to “rigorously protect” the NHS in the upcoming talks with Washington.

However, Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, said the government should be focused on getting a good deal with the EU, rather than “cosying up to Donald Trump”.

“President Trump doesn’t care about the UK. The only trade agreement he wants to strike is one that will line the pockets of his corporate backers. Nobody voted for chlorinated chicken or for US corporations to have more access to our personal data.” 

The department said it would defend the UK’s freedom to provide public services, as one of the governments’s negotiating objectives.

“The NHS is not for sale and the government is committed to guiding principles of the NHS — that it is universal and free at the point of use,” the department added.

It also said that ministers will “ensure high standards and protections for British consumers and workers” and vowed to “uphold the UK’s domestic standards on food safety and animal welfare.”

This comes as George Eustice, who was appointed in the recent reshuffle as environment secretary, failed to offer a clear commitment last week that the import of chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef will be off the table in any trade deal with the US.

The environment secretary said the government had “no plans” to revise the ban on the two products but did not give a guarantee on the issue, which is expected to prove a contentious point in trade talks with the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, Johnson said in a statement, “We have the best negotiators in the business and of course, we’re going to drive a hard bargain to boost British industry.”

“Trading Scottish smoked salmon for Stetson hats, we will deliver lower prices and more choice for our shoppers,” he claimed. “Most importantly, this transatlantic trade deal will reflect the closeness of our two great nations.” 

Lizz Truss of the DIT said, “This deal with our biggest single trading partner will cut red tape for small businesses, cut tariffs for our great products from diary to cars and increase growth in all four nations.”

Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, however, said, “This is a government that has sought, at every opportunity, to resist efforts to lock in our high standards and to ensure robust protections for our NHS.

“Their false promises are meaningless — they have said they won’t undercut our food standards whilst briefing that chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef are perfectly acceptable.

“That is why there must be a full and proper scrutiny process for this and all trade agreements.”

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