Britain at front of the queue for ‘attractive’ US trade deal

BRITAIN will jump to the head of the queue in trade talks with the United States, and the “special relationship” is alive and well, America’s top officials broadcasted enthusiastically in Davos.

Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, said Washington would bend over backwards to help secure a post-brexit accord as soon as Britain has extracted itself from the EU straitjacket and is able to negotiate freely. There is no question of leaving the UK languishing in limbo until it has purged its sins as former president Barack Obama seemed to suggest.

“As soon as the UK is ready, we are prepared to negotiate an attractive trade deal. The president was very clear on that: they would go to the front of the line,” he said.

“I think we have had a very special relationship for a long period of time. We are very clearly supportive of the UK over the Brexit issue.

“We are monitoring discussions with the European Union and we want to see a successful transition as soon as the UK is ready, then we would be prepared to negotiate an attractive trade deal,” he said.

Wilbur Ross, the US commerce secretary, said he had a good “nuts and bolts” meeting with his British counterpart Liam Fox and revealed that London and Washington are effectively working hand-in-glove together already on commercial issues.

President Donald Trump pledged “tremendous increases in trade” after meeting Theresa May in Davos on Thursday, insisting that it would be a win-win for both countries in terms of jobs since trade is well-balanced.

Crowning the renewed mood of concord, Mr Trump offered a rare apology to the UK for his controversial re-tweets of far-right material last year. “If you are telling me they’re horrible people, horrible racist people, I would certainly apologise, if you’d like me to do that,” he told Good Morning Britain.