Keir Starmer warned not to blow Britain’s shot at US trade deal by caving in to EU
SIR Keir Starmer has been warned not to blow Britain’s shot at a blockbuster US trade deal by caving in to the EU.
Donald Trump this week opened the door to a “real trade deal” with Britain in a major boost for the Prime Minister.
During the pair’s love-in at the White House on Thursday, the President pledged to “make some great trade agreements with the UK and with the Prime Minister”.
Sir Keir said he was hoping for a “new economic deal with advanced technology at its core”, such as AI.
Despite the warm words, No10 is facing twin challenges in getting the deal over the line.
There are concerns some of the demands made by the US in any trade talks could spark protests within the Labour Party.
Downing Street was yesterday forced to say the NHS will “never be on the table” and it will “only ever sign” agreements that “align” with the UK’s interests.
Meanwhile, trade experts say Sir Keir’s plan for a “reset” on trade with the EU could wreck any chances of getting a good deal with the US.
In return for better access to the single market, the EU is expected to dermand alignment with its own rules – making it much harder to reach a separate agreeement with the White House.
Senior European sources say Britain will also have to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice to strike a new trade agreement with the bloc – an issue that could further entangle the UK in EU bureaucracy.
Ex-Brexit adviser and trade guru Shanker Singham warned: “It is clear that President Trump wants to do a trade deal with the UK. It is equally clear that without it the UK will face steep tariffs.
“The Government must maintain maximum flexibility and be ready to talk about the things that the US is interested in.”
Tory peer and adviser to The Board of Trade Lord Hannan added: “A trade deal with the US would be huge.
It is a bigger export market on its own for us than our second, third and fourth markets put together.
“But we won’t be an attractive partner if we have decided in advance to let Brussels set all our future food standards for us.”
The PM’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has been very clear that when it comes to the national interest, he rejects having to make any false choice between allies.
“We’re committed to continuing our work with both the US and the EU to remove barriers to trade and help UK businesses grow.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting insisted that the NHS is “not up for grabs” for a US trade deal, but suggested it could include data access.
He said: “We’re not in the business of selling off people’s data, but in terms of data access, absolutely the thing that the NHS can offer and the thing that the NHS can get in return is being a really strong partner for clinical trials.”