Do you remember all those ‘oven ready' trade deals we were going to have which would be ‘the easiest thing to negotiate'? The FT reports this morning that:
The British government has abandoned hopes of reaching a US-UK trade deal ahead of this autumn's American presidential election, with British officials blaming the Covid-19 pandemic for slow progress.
It adds:
Prime minister Boris Johnson and international trade secretary Liz Truss had hoped to conclude a fast-track agreement by late summer, which would be hailed as an early win from leaving the European Union. But senior government figures have concluded no comprehensive deal is possible before the November poll as the two sides grapple over contentious issues such as whether to allow US agricultural products into the UK market.
And I suspect it's safe to say that this will remain the case for a very long time to come.
The claims made about easy to negotiate trade deals were lies.
The claims as to the benefits they would give rise to were also false.
There is but one route for the UK on trade deals now. The terms will be dictated to us, and they will be unfavourable.
That was what this was always going to mean. The only people feigning any surprise are those who spun a false yarn in the first place.
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Clearly, Brexit voters were sold a pup. But given where we are today I think this is good news. Any deal with the US would have been too damaging in all sorts of ways.
Agreed Clive, if this is indeed the case:
“The British government has abandoned hopes of reaching a US-UK trade deal ahead of this autumn’s American presidential election, with British officials blaming the Covid-19 pandemic for slow progress.”
So every cloud has a silver lining then? We’d better hope that this is the case because as the mostly worthless Tory party showed this week, they’re quite happy to vote down any attempt to put the NHS out of reach of US health corporations, or any attempt to protect food or environmental standards.
CLIVE PARRY says:
“Clearly, Brexit voters were sold a pup.” Hmmmm….can’t argue with that…….
” But given where we are today I think this is good news” Well, it might give us some breathing space, but what will the government do with it ? If it ramps up the pressure to make some sensible on-going arrangements with the EU then I’m prepared to regard it as good news, but given the tone of negotiations so far, is that likely ?
With the pathetic shower in this so-called ‘government’ Andy, who knows? I know they’ll betray every single real British interest in favour of their extremist libertarian free market ideology, but maybe reality won’t allow them to do so.
I wonder when the Leave voters and Tory voters, especially in those areas and industries that are going to be most badly affected will realise they’ve been conned? Or are the ‘stupids’ as I now call them just going to find any old scapegoat rather than admit their mistakes?
I wonder how long before the Scots have finally had enough of the utter stupidity of English/British politics? I think you’ll be independent within 5 years Andy.
I number of times I have thought, ‘surely, now business will get together and launch a campaign joining together and speaking out to protect themselves and the economy’.
If we are not going to be in a customs union, Nissan will wind down and other firms have re-located to the Continent.
Yet the voice of business seems to be muted even though we read of most firms not being ready for leaving the transition period.
Are they not being reported, don’t understand or are they just passive?
It’s very hard to udnertsand
They were promised frictionless trade, that only a madman would leave the single market and that we could be like Norway and Switzerland. Maybe businesses also hoped that Johnson, as a leaver, could pull a rabbit out of his hat due to COVID-19 and like Nixon going to China
Trade is warfare to the Americans. Always has been, always will be.
But I’m more worried about our side to be honest – aren’t you lot?
They are not particularly bright or principled.
On 20th July the Tory MPs voted enmasse to reject amendments to the trade bill that would:
a) have barred any deal which “undermines or restricts” a comprehensive public-funded health service, free at the point of delivery.” The amendment would also have legally guaranteed the UK’s ability to control the pricing of medicines, and maintained the current level of protection for patient data.
b) bar any food imports unless they were produced with “as high as, or higher than, standards which at the time of import applied under UK law” which would have ensured “chlorine-washed” chicken and other poor-quality US foods were kept out of the UK.
c) have given parliament a vote on any post- Brexit trade deal
So I wouldn’t celebrate not yet having reached a trade deal with USA. It is clear that Cummings and Johnson will put through any deal they want without any parliamentary oversight. We are going to be well and truly trashed. I hope the farmers enjoy what they voted for.
As for industry – presumably they have a death wish / are so wedded to the Conservative Party they cannot bring themselves to speak out.
From The Independent…..
Japan has given Britain just six weeks to sign up to a post-Brexit trade deal or face disruption to its imports and exports.
In the latest sign that the “swashbuckling” drive to sign deals with countries around the world is proving less than straightforward, the UK could lose favourable access to Japanese markets it enjoyed as part of EU membership if no agreement is signed.
UK negotiators also face the prospect of being bounced into a deal on unfavourable terms, as countries like Japan seek to use the reopening of talks to gain further concessions against the UK.
Japanese negotiators this week piled extra pressure on Boris Johnson by accelerating the schedule for a deal, citing a lack of time in their parliamentary calendar.
“To avoid a gap in January, we must pass this in the autumn session of the Diet [the Japanese parliament],” Hiroshi Matsuura, Tokyo’s chief negotiator, told the Financial Times. “That means we must complete negotiations by the end of July.”
Watch more
UK and Japan to start negotiations over trade deal
EU parliament says no ‘consent’ for watered-down Brexit trade deal
UK and EU agree to intensify trade talks as Brexit deadline looms
Mr Matsuura added that the UK and Japan would have to “limit [their] ambitions”, dampening British hopes of improving access for sectors such as agricultural produce.
The European Union has a trade deal with Japan, but Britain will no longer benefit from it from the start of 2021 when the Brexit transition period ends.
Like some other countries with EU trade deals, Japan has declined to simply roll over its existing agreement for the UK after Brexit and has instead reopened talks, potentially extracting further concessions from the UK.
Brexit… The gift that keeps on giving!!
Mr Ryan,
An interesting comment. Your interpretation, if correct seems to suggest the weakness of Britain’s position around the world in trade deals is already being cruelly exposed. We do not have any deals of any material size. We have left the EU. We have fallen out with China. The US know what for it is the price of a deal it doesn’t urgently need. Everyone else is either in a strong position or is locked in to a strong trading area. We are easy meat. The vultures will be circling overhead, if we only looked up.
If I may mix my metaphors, all we are waiting for now, is for the spaghetti to hit the fan (I describe it decorously, for it is around lunchtime).
Isn’t the truth that the UK side are hoping for better terms than they can extract from an America First Donald Trump. THEY ARE JUST HOPING THAT tRUMP WILL NOT BE RE-ELECTED.
Yes, I think a lot of people are hoping that Roger, but if Joe Biden wins he’ll be inaugurated in January by which time the UK will have already left and it’s negotiating position would be even worse than it is at the moment.
Exactly
Given the stance of the Democrats during the TTIP and TPP episodes, I wouldn’t expect much mercy regardless of who wins the presidency, alas.
I wrote to our local MP a while back on the US trade deal and highlighted that her constituency includes a lot of farming people who would rightly be concerned about their livelihoods, loss of food quality and so forth.
I mentioned a few other things like ISDS etc. .
I never got a reply; only the email acknowledgement.
My feeling is that there may be enough kickback from Tory MPs who generally have support from the farming community to press against selling out to the US. I am not optimistic that this is the case as Johnson and Cummings have a free hand to do what they want, but there just may be some pressure in the workings of Tory MPs.
In the past you could rely on a scandal to unsettle the government, but can’t think of much that will shift Johnson and his chums.
“A false yarn” makes it sound not too bad – more like blatant lying is what they did.