Trump’s man in UK: Brits need a leader
Deal ‘impossible’ under PM’s plan
DONALD Trump’s man in Britain claimed the UK “needs leadership” yesterday as he poured cold water on Theresa May’s hopes of a US trade deal.
US ambassador Woody Johnson said the president hopes for a “massive, bilateral trade deal” but “it doesn’t look like it would be possible” alongside the PM’s proposed EU deal.
Mr Johnson added that he was “feeling the country is in need of leadership”, having toured the UK since his appointment in 2017.
He said: “You can see the frustration in the Members of Parliament in trying to navigate what the people wanted when they voted on the referendum.”
He also lashed out at Brexit “defeatism”, saying: “If you just try to project the past into the present and the future, it’s going to be bleak.
“But you’re leaving out the great thing that Britain has to offer, and that is all of the people and all of their efforts and their ability to solve problems. And if you factor that in, I think the future is extremely positive and extremely bright.”
Mr Johnson said the deal the president wanted “could be the precursor of future trade deals with other countries for Great Britain that will really take you way, way into an exciting future”. Labour MP Ian Murray, of the anti-Brexit Best for Britain campaign, said: “Woody Johnson has read the PM’s dream the last rites. The government has pinned its post-Brexit strategy on a deal with the US and this has fallen apart.” No10 denied the PM’s EU with- drawal pact would scupper an “ambitious” trade agreement with the US.
Mrs May’s spokeswoman admitted she had still not won concessions to help sell her Brexit deal to MPs, saying: “There is still work to do.”
It also emerged that Chancellor Philip Hammond has allocated local councils £35milion to tackle no-deal Brexit disruption – less than half what was requested.