PM to push free trade case duringTrump visit
THERESA May will use her meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC this week to make the case for increasing free trade between Britain and America, Downing Street has said.
Reports suggest Mrs May hopes to discuss the prospects of slashing tariffs on existing trade between Britain and the United States and making it easier for workers to move between the two countries.
Mrs May will also stress the “importance of Nato as the bulwark of our defence”, following Mr Trump’s description of the transatlantic security alliance as “obsolete”.
The Prime Minister will become the first foreign leader to meet the US president on Friday and will press the case for a post-Brexit free trade agreement between the two countries.
Mrs May’s official spokeswoman told a regular Westminster media briefing: “You can expect the Prime Minister to be very clear during her US visit about the benefits of free trade and championing them and wanting to look at what more can be done to increase that, while also looking at how we address the concerns there have been about whether the benefits are being spread to as many people as they could be.”
The PM said on Sunday that Mr Trump was looking for “early” talks on a free trade deal despite concerns over his “America first” strategy.
Mrs May’s spokeswoman played down suggestions that the “America first” strategy set out in Mr Trump’s inauguration address last Friday might be an obstacle to a successful trade deal for the UK.
In the address on the steps of the Capitol, the new president said that “every decision on trade... will be made to benefit American workers and American families”, protecting the US from “the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs”.
Asked about the comments, Mrs May’s spokeswoman said: “With the leader of any country, you can expect them to look at how they are putting their country’s interest as the top priority on their list. We are clear that we will be pursuing Britain’s national interests.”
Mr Trump earlier this month described Nato as “obsolete” because it was not “taking care of terror” and many member states were not living up to the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence, though he added that the alliance was still “very important to me”.
Mrs May’s spokeswoman said: “She will be clear about the importance of Nato as the bulwark of our defence and the need for the alliance to effectively counter the biggest threats of the day, what that means in terms of evolving to deal with different threats and what that means in terms of the contributions countries make within the alliance.”
Mrs May spoke by phone on Sunday with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and told him she would be taking these messages to Washington, said the spokeswoman.
“From the conversations the Prime Minister has had with President Trump already, he has signalled his commitment to Nato,” the spokeswoman added.
The Oval Office summit will also examine global issues such as tackling terrorism, the Syrian civil war and relations with Russia.
Mrs May has stressed she will tell Mr Trump when she finds his behaviour “unacceptable” - a criticism she has already levelled at him over his suggestion that his fame allowed him to grab women “by the pussy”.
The president’s numerous highly controversial remarks about women inspired more than a million people to join anti-Trump women’s marches in Britain, the US and around the world on Saturday.
Mrs May said being the first world leader to hold talks with Mr Trump is the “biggest statement” she can make about the global role of women.
The Prime Minister will travel to the US on Thursday when she will become the first foreign serving head of state or government to address the annual congressional Republican retreat, when it gathers for its 30th anniversary in Philadelphia.
Her early meeting with the president will be seen as a major coup after an uneasy start to relations with Mr Trump following November’s election.