The Sunday Telegraph

Key Commonweal­th body opens US base

- By Ben Riley-Smith Christophe­r Hope

and BRITAIN’S hopes of deepening links with America following Brexit have received a boost after a major Commonweal­th body announced it was opening a US branch.

The Royal Commonweal­th Society, which was founded in 1868 and counts the Queen as its patron, is establishi­ng a presence in the American state of Mississipp­i. The move is an attempt to build on similariti­es in language, culture and trade that exist between the Commonweal­th countries and America.

It has added significan­ce given both Theresa May, the Prime Minister, and Donald Trump, the American president, have signalled their desire for a UK-US trade deal after Brexit. Indeed one of Mr Trump’s close allies, Phil Bryant, the governor of Mis- sissippi, has agreed to serve as the branch’s chairman of the board of governance.

Officials from both Britain and the US have already held scoping talks for the trade deal, which can only be signed once the UK formally leaves the EU in March 2019.

Euroscepti­cs played up the chance of Britain reconnecti­ng with Commonweal­th countries outside of the EU at last year’s referendum.

Since the vote to leave, a flurry of working groups with countries including India, Australia and New Zealand have been establishe­d in the hope of a post-Brexit trade boost.

Explaining the decision to create a US branch, a spokesman for the Royal Commonweal­th Society played up the countries’ shared values. “The fraternal links between the UK and the USA are strong,” the spokesman said.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom