US in driving seat

The arrival of the US national security adviser John Bolton in London, declaring the most isolationist US regime in living memory would “enthusiastically” support a no-deal Brexit, should be a major cause of concern to many.

The UK is a weakened country, desperate for a trade deal and in no position to refuse Donald Trump’s demands not just to lower our stringent standards, but on our foreign policy too.

All trade negotiations naturally involve both sides trying to re-engineer things to their own advantage, of course. Risks, however, are heightened for small countries negotiating with bigger and more powerful ones – one reason EU countries banded together to do trade deals in the first place – and this time big foreign policy as well as economic principles are at stake.

It is highly unlikely that issues like the Iran nuclear deal (which the US would like us to follow them in walking away from) or contracts with the Chinese tech firm Huawei will be left until “after Brexit”. There is likely to be early pressure too to ditch practices that inconvenience American companies, such as the planned digital-services tax targeting tech giants.

It is no surprise that the White House actively favours a chaotic divorce between Britain and its European allies. So weakened is the UK that our

foreign policy will soon be decided by diktat from Washington, even more so than it currently is.

ALEX ORR Marchmont Road, Edinburgh