Trump casts doubt on UK’s ability to trade with US postBrexit

UK - US President Donald Trump has added himself to the chorus of skeptics doubting British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan, saying it isn’t clear if the agreement will allow a USUK trading partnership. “I think we have to take a look at seriously whether or not the UK is allowed to trade. Because you know, right now, if you look at the deal, they may not be able to trade with us”, Trump said on the White House’s South Lawn. All 27 remaining European Union leaders approved Britain’s Brexit agreement on Sunday but May is yet to convince UK Parliament to sign off on the deal. David Crystal, the British linguist and academic, has calculated that there are three times more people learning English than there are native speakers of the language.

Why? Trump said Monday the prospect that the plan could limit the UK’s ability to trade with the US after it exits the EU on March 29, 2019 “wouldn’t be a good thing.” “I don’t think they meant that. I don’t think that the Prime Minister meant that. And hopefully, she’ll be able to do something about that”, Trump said. A UK Government spokeswoman pushed back on the claim, saying that Britain’s ability to make independent trade deals with countries around the world once it leaves the EU is very clear.

“We have already been laying the groundwork for an ambitious agreement with the US through our joint working groups” Downing Street said in a statement, adding that the groups have met on five occasions. Following the 2016 referendum, then-candidate Trump was a vocal cheerleader of the proposal to extricate the UK from the bloc, even going as far as predicting people would call him ‘Mr. Brexit’ for his support.

(CNN)