Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Another misleading promise
I think most of us remember the rhetoric during the Brexit referenda debates about how easy it would be to conclude a trade deal with the USA once we have left the EU, but just in case here is Brexiteer and former UKIP MP Douglas Carswell, speaking at the Institute for Government in April 2017 and claiming that setting up trade deals with the US would be seamless:
I think free trade would be relatively straightforward between the United Kingdom and America. If it’s legal to buy and sell a product in California, it should be legal to buy and sell it in Clacton Of course there’ll be some caveats.
Unfortunately, and as the Prime Minister is discovering, things are not so straightforward:
No 10 is keen to showcase the warmth of relations between the prime minister and Biden, as well as the strong investment links between the two countries, when the pair meet in Washington on Tuesday. But Johnson, who had previously boasted of the prospects for a transatlantic trade deal, told journalists it now appeared unlikely to be imminent.
“The reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry. He’s got a huge infrastructure package, he’s got a build back better package. We want to do it, but what we want is a good free trade agreement. And I would much rather get a deal that really works for the UK than get a quick deal.”
When reality bites it really shows up those who have ignored it up until now.
I think free trade would be relatively straightforward between the United Kingdom and America. If it’s legal to buy and sell a product in California, it should be legal to buy and sell it in Clacton Of course there’ll be some caveats.
Unfortunately, and as the Prime Minister is discovering, things are not so straightforward:
No 10 is keen to showcase the warmth of relations between the prime minister and Biden, as well as the strong investment links between the two countries, when the pair meet in Washington on Tuesday. But Johnson, who had previously boasted of the prospects for a transatlantic trade deal, told journalists it now appeared unlikely to be imminent.
“The reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry. He’s got a huge infrastructure package, he’s got a build back better package. We want to do it, but what we want is a good free trade agreement. And I would much rather get a deal that really works for the UK than get a quick deal.”
When reality bites it really shows up those who have ignored it up until now.
