A Labour minister has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the new US-UK trade deal as a benefit of Brexit during a television interview. Darren Jones, who has served as chief secretary to the Treasury since last year, refused to be drawn on whether the trade deal was a Brexit benefit during an interview on GB News.
The Labour minister was questioned by host Ellie Costello, who said: “It’s a Brexit benefit as well, isn’t it? We wouldn’t have got this deal if we were inside the EU.”
Mr Jones replied: “I mean, who knows? I mean, we left the European Union a very long time ago. What I do know is that we are the first country in the world to be able to secure a new trade deal with the president of the United States of America.
“That is a great vindication of the strategy of the Prime Minister in being able to negotiate that with the president.”
Pressing Mr Jones further, Costello followed up saying: “But we know that Donald Trump does not think fondly of the European Union. I mean, he describes the European Union as shafting the US. If we were still inside the European Union, we wouldn’t have got this deal.”
Again, Mr Jones refused to be drawn, replying: “As I say, it’s kind of an old argument. What I do know is that the UK has been able to get this deal with the United States of America, and that’s very good news indeed.”
President Trump announced the deal at the White House on Thursday, in a ceremony attended by US officials and UK ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson.
Mr Trump said the agreement was “a great deal for both countries”, and confirmed the UK would “reduce or eliminate numerous non-tariff barriers” under its terms.
As part of the deal, the US will remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminium and reduce levies on cars from 27.5% to 10%.
Mr Jones made the point that the UK was “the first country in the world” to secure a deal with the US administration, praising the opportunities afforded to British beef farmers.
He added: “I back British beef. I think it’s a good quality product.”
During the Oval Office event on Thursday, Mr Trump called the UK a “most cherished” ally and said the agreement affirmed the “reciprocity and fairness” he said was essential to international trade.
While the final details of the deal have not yet been written, the president confirmed they would be in the coming weeks, and that the agreement was a “conclusive one”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer phoned into the gathering, saying it was a “fantastic, historic day£ and that “economic security is national security”.