Keir Starmer's EU 'surrender summit' could wreck hopes of UK US trade deal, Tories warn
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Sir Keir Starmer's plans for a 'surrender summit' with the EU this month could wreck hopes for a comprehensive free-trade deal with the US, the Tories have warned.
The agreement with Donald Trump was far from comprehensive – and left British exporters facing higher tariffs than they did at the start of this year, said shadow trade spokesman Andrew Griffith.
And he warned a closer arrangement with Brussels could 'prejudice' hopes of a bigger deal with the US and other major economies.
It came as Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey triggered a backlash by urging Government to do 'everything we can' to secure a closer trading deal with Brussels.
The Prime Minister – who attended a Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Oslo yesterday – will discuss a deal at the first UK-EU summit, which will be held in London on May 19.
Mr Griffith said it was reasonable to try to reduce 'frictions' in trade with the EU. But he added: 'Critically, it must be done without impeding our ability to get a comprehensive free trade agreement with the United States.
'The Government must not go into this surrender summit on May 19 giving up our fishing, reopening free movement and tying us so tightly to European standards that we prejudice these really important agendas.'
This week Brexit minister Nick Thomas-Symonds confirmed the Government is ready to sign up to permanent alignment with EU rules in areas such as agriculture in return for a closer trading relationship – a move that could limit the scope for trade deals with other countries.
Other potential concessions on the table in the negotiations include a 'youth mobility deal', which would allow tens of thousands of young Europeans to live and work temporarily in the UK.
Ministers are also ready to bow to French demands to give EU trawlers long-term access to British fishing grounds.
Mr Bailey yesterday told the BBC that ministers were right to pursue closer trade ties with Brussels. But former Brexit minister Lord Frost suggested his analysis of post-Brexit trade with the EU was 'dubious'.
The Government finally published details of the deal struck with the US yesterday, revealing it is still very much a work in progress.
Sir Keir hailed the deal as 'historic' on Thursday, but the published document runs to just five pages and states that it 'does not constitute a legally binding agreement'. That leaves the steel industry and farmers, both sectors impacted by the deal, still with a lot of questions.
Downing Street said ministers are continuing to work on a deal which could become legally binding.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones defended the decision to agree a quick deal and insisted ministers could strike deeper deals with the US and the EU.
Mr Jones said: 'We are confident we can do both.'
