Britain will be at the FRONT of queue for trade deals
TRUMP AIDE’S BREXIT PLEDGE
UK is going to be in the back of the queue [for a trade deal] President Barack Obama, April 22 2016
BRITAIN will be “first in line” for a trade deal with the United States, Donald Trump’s national security adviser declared last night.
John Bolton said Britain’s successful exit from the European Union was “very much in our interests” following a meeting in London with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“A prior American president said that if the UK left the EU, it would go to the back of the queue on trade deals,” he said. “To be clear, in the Trump administration Britain’s constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say.”
Mr Bolton insisted the US was eager for a trade deal “as soon as possible” and the two leaders had got off to a “roaring start”.
He said: “Boris Johnson has only been Prime Minister for 18 days and they have already had five or six phone calls so it is off to a roaring start. You have two energetic leaders with a full agenda. Britain’s success in successfully exiting the EU is a statement about democratic rule of law and constitutional government.
“It is important for Britain and it is important for the US. We see a successful exit as being very much in our interests.”
The former UN ambassador said Britain would have “palpable economic benefits from getting out of the Byzantine EU regulatory system” with great potential for US-UK trade.
“It is a very exciting time ahead for the UK,” he added.
Pro-Brexit politicians were quick to denounce the views of Barack Obama and his advisers when he dismissed talk of a favourable trade deal with the UK prior to the 2016 referendum.
A month ahead of the vote the then US president said: “I think it’s fair to say that maybe some point down the line there might be a UK-US trade agreement, but it’s not going to happen any time soon because our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc, the EU, to get a trade agreement done. The UK is going to be in the back of the queue.”
Mr Bolton said Britain and the US could agree trade deals on a sectorby-sector basis, leaving more difficult areas in the trading relationship until later. He also attacked the EU and said the UK’s decision to leave the bloc should be respected.
“The fashion in the EU when the people vote the wrong way from the way that the elites want to go is to make the peasants vote again and again until they get it right,” he said.
The 70-year-old discussed “a wide range of issues” with Mr Johnson including tensions with Iran, anti-government protests in Hong Kong and concerns about Chinese firm Huawei’s involvement in the rollout of 5G.
Mr Bolton was expected to urge the UK to push for a tougher line against Tehran which has ramped up aggression towards the West since the US withdrew from a 2015 nuclear treaty.
Mr Trump will meet Mr Johnson for the first time since he succeeded Theresa May at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, later this month.
Mr Trump has spoken fondly of Mr Johnson, saying last month: “He’s a friend of mine. I think we’re going to have a great relationship.”