Truss’s admission talks on commerce take care of US have been shelved is ‘horrible information for UK economic system’, Labour says
Good morning. As my colleague Pippa Crerar experiences, it seems Barack Obama was right after all. In the case of a free commerce take care of the US, post-Brexit Britain actually is in the back of the queue.
Liz Truss admitted that she didn’t count on talks on a free commerce take care of the US to begin “within the quick to medium time period” whereas talking to reporters final evening on her airplane over to New York, the place she is attending the United Nations basic meeting. Nobody who has adopted progress in the direction of the “massive” free trade deal once promised will probably be stunned by the substance of what Truss mentioned; it has been clear since Joe Biden received the US presidential election that in the meanwhile the deal is all however lifeless. However the truth that Truss was ready to confess this fairly brazenly is notable. Final yr, on the same journey to the US, Boris Johnson was more evasive.
In answering the query candidly, Truss was additionally burying a dedication within the Conservative get together’s 2019 manifesto, which mentioned:
Our objectives for British commerce are accordingly bold. We purpose to have 80 per cent of UK commerce lined by free commerce agreements inside the subsequent three years, beginning with the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
The Truss remark additionally marks the return of No 10 as a news-generation machine. After the death of the Queen, all government business was put on hold and even the sources who give journalists unattributable briefings kind of clammed up. However now political information is again. We will probably be listening to extra from Truss later at present, and this morning Michelle Donelan, the brand new tradition secretary, has achieved a full interview spherical. I’ll summarise the important thing factors shortly.
Labour opposed Brexit in 2016, however underneath Keir Starmer it’s now presenting itself because the get together that might “make Brexit work”, and it now routinely assaults the Tories for failing to implement Brexit correctly. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow worldwide commerce secretary, says Truss’s admission that the US free commerce deal received’t occur is “horrible information” for the economic system. He says:
The admission that there isn’t any prospect of a commerce take care of the USA is horrible information for the UK economic system – it’s costing billions in misplaced potential commerce alternatives and holding again development.
There is no such thing as a doubt that the blame for this mess lies on the door of the prime minister, who tarnished the UK’s worldwide status as overseas and worldwide commerce secretary. This is a humiliation for Liz Truss.
The Conservative manifesto promised a commerce take care of america by the top of this yr, now this has no probability of being delivered.
Solely the contemporary begin a Labour authorities can present will rebuild these worldwide relationships and run a commerce coverage centered on development.
Parliament is just not sitting at present. Right here is the agenda.
Lunchtime (UK time): Liz Truss is predicted to file interviews in New York, the place she is in a go to to attend the United Nations basic meeting.
Round 4pm (UK time): Truss is because of maintain a gathering with Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
Additionally, in some unspecified time in the future at present Brandon Lewis, the brand new justice secretary, is because of maintain a gathering with the Prison Bar Affiliation to debate the barristers’ strike.
I attempt to monitor the feedback beneath the road (BTL) however it’s inconceivable to learn all of them. In case you have a direct query, do embody “Andrew” in it someplace and I’m extra prone to discover it. I do attempt to reply questions, and if they’re of basic curiosity, I’ll publish the query and reply above the road (ATL), though I can’t promise to do that for everybody.
If you wish to appeal to my consideration rapidly, it’s most likely higher to make use of Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to e mail me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com
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Rosalind McCall has turn into the primary new member of the Scottish parliament to swear allegiance to King Charles III, after she took her seat at Holyrood on Tuesday morning.
McCall, often called Roz, has taken one of many Scottish Conservatives’ listing seats for Mid Scotland and Fife after Dean Lockhart, a former lawyer and convener of Holyrood’s web zero, power and transport committee, stop parliament to take up a job at a web zero firm.
A former Tory councillor in Perth & Kinross, she had been attributable to take her seat earlier this month however that was delayed by the Queen’s demise at Balmoral. As an alternative, McCall’s swearing-in grew to become the primary little bit of enterprise when Holyrood resumed on Tuesday.
Labour’s Rosie Cooper signifies she’s going to stand down as MP to take new job as chair of NHS belief
Rosie Cooper has indicated that she intends to face down as Labour MP for West Lancashire to take up a brand new job as chair of the Mersey Care NHS basis belief. In her assertion asserting the transfer Cooper says that occasions in recent times have “undoubtedly taken their toll” – a reference to Cooper being focused by a neo-Nazi who was jailed for life in 2019 for plotting to kill her.
Cooper’s assertion implies she’s going to resign and set off a byelection. On the final election she had a majority of greater than 8,000 over the Conservatives, and in a byelection Labour could be anticipated to carry the seat very simply.
No want for Truss to apologise to Macron for not saying whether or not he was pal or foe, says Donelan
Liz Truss is because of meet Emmanuel Macron, the French president, on the UN this afternoon. It is going to be their first correct assembly since she scandalised mainstream diplomatic opinion through the Tory management contest by refusing to say whether she considered him a friend or foe. The response from Macron was seen as significantly extra statesmanlike.
Michelle Donelan, the tradition secretary, was requested about Truss’s remark this morning. She might have mentioned mentioned that Truss was simply making a joke (which was most likely no less than half true – have a look at the expression on Truss’s face in the video clip), however it’s by no means smart to contradict the boss and as a substitute Donelan defended what Truss mentioned. Requested if Truss ought to apologise to Macron, Donelan informed Instances Radio:
Effectively, completely not. The prime minister is entitled to make feedback on any subject she ought to see match to take action. So I don’t assume she must apologise.
However on LBC Donelan did sound extra conciliatory. She mentioned it will be a mistake to “overegg” the remark made by Truss, and she or he claimed the PM has had “many heat conversations” with Macron over the previous week.
International Justice Now, which campaigns for a fairer international economic system, has welcomed the information that there will probably be no UK-US free commerce deal within the subsequent few years. Jean Blaylock, its commerce marketing campaign supervisor, mentioned:
It’s an actual aid that there’s no instant prospect of a US-UK commerce deal, as Liz Truss has proven few indicators she might negotiate her means out of a chlorinated hen field.
The expertise of the Australia commerce deal is that Truss is keen to sacrifice nearly something she is requested to sacrifice to get a deal – and meals requirements, environmental protections and labour rights endure consequently.
About 250,000 individuals queued to see Queen’s coffin in London, says tradition secretary Michelle Donelan
A couple of quarter of 1,000,000 individuals queued for up to 17 hours to see the Queen’s coffin because it lay in state at Westminster Corridor, Michelle Donelan, the tradition secretary, mentioned this morning.
She additionally refused to say how a lot the federal government spent staging the state funeral for the Queen, however she mentioned “the British public would argue that that was cash nicely spent”.
My colleague Tobi Thomas has the story right here.
The Liberal Democrats say Liz Truss is personally guilty for the failure of the UK to strike a commerce take care of the US (see 9.44am) as a result of she was once worldwide commerce secretary, after which overseas secretary. In an announcement Layla Moran, the get together’s overseas affairs spokesperson, mentioned:
That is the newest damaged promise on commerce from Liz Truss and the Conservatives. Companies up and down the nation are tangled in crimson tape, farmers have been bought down the river, and now it seems {that a} take care of one in all our largest companions is just not even on the desk.
Liz Truss’s cack-handed diplomacy over the Northern Eire protocol has turn into a serious roadblock to getting this very important commerce deal even began.
Any competent political get together would have made positive the commerce after which overseas secretary answerable for this collection of failures could be held accountable. As an alternative, the Conservatives have made her prime minister.
Tradition secretary claims ‘tweaks’ to make on-line security invoice much less restrictive will solely relate to adults, not youngsters
In her first PMQs as prime minister, Liz Truss mentioned that underneath her premiership there could be “tweaks” to the online safety bill to make sure it did extra to guard free speech. The invoice is at the moment at report stage within the Home of Commons, which suggests MPs have already spent many hours debating it, however the authorities might nonetheless desk amendments within the Commons or within the Home of Lords.
In her interviews this morning Michelle Donelan, the brand new tradition secretary, claimed that the modifications proposed by Truss wouldn’t have an effect on the measures within the invoice defending youngsters. They’d solely relate to making sure “we’ve received the stability proper by way of free speech in relation to adults”, she mentioned.
She informed the At present programme:
I’m not going to announce at present precisely how we’ll be altering [the bill] as a result of the due course of will probably be to do this in parliament.
However that aspect is in relation to adults. The bits in relation to youngsters and on-line security is not going to be altering. And that’s the overarching goal of the invoice, and why we put it in our manifesto.
However Donelan didn’t clarify how the provisions within the invoice might be made much less restrictive for adults with out the flexibility of youngsters to entry dangerous materials additionally being affected. Social media firms have been notoriously dangerous at imposing age controls.
Ministers to evaluation Channel 4 privatisation and scrapping of BBC licence payment
Ministers are reviewing the choices to privatise Channel 4 and to scrap the BBC licence fee, Michelle Donelan, the brand new tradition secretary, has mentioned. My colleague Jessica Elgot has the story right here.
Truss says UK army assist to Ukraine in 2023 will match, or exceed, army assist provided this yr
Liz Truss will handle the UN basic meeting on Thursday. In one other merchandise of reports to emerge from her journey in a single day, No 10 has mentioned she’s going to promise that UK army assist to Ukraine in 2023 will match, or exceed, the army assist provided this yr. In its news release Downing Avenue says:
The UK is already the second largest army donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. Now we have educated 27,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces since 2015, and within the final yr now we have offered a whole lot of rockets, 5 air defence techniques, 120 armoured autos and over 200,000 items of non-lethal army gear.
Final week noticed the most important business highway transfer of ammunition for the reason that second world battle as tens of 1000’s extra rounds of UK-donated artillery ammunition went to the entrance traces in Ukraine.
The exact nature of UK army help in 2023 will probably be decided based mostly on the wants of the armed forces of Ukraine. Nevertheless, it’s anticipated to incorporate gear just like the a number of launch rocket system, offered to Ukraine by the UK and others, which has been decisive in permitting Ukraine to re-gain over 3,000 sq. kilometres of territory in current days.
Truss’s admission talks on commerce take care of US have been shelved is ‘horrible information for UK economic system’, Labour says
Good morning. As my colleague Pippa Crerar experiences, it seems Barack Obama was right after all. In the case of a free commerce take care of the US, post-Brexit Britain actually is in the back of the queue.
Liz Truss admitted that she didn’t count on talks on a free commerce take care of the US to begin “within the quick to medium time period” whereas talking to reporters final evening on her airplane over to New York, the place she is attending the United Nations basic meeting. Nobody who has adopted progress in the direction of the “massive” free trade deal once promised will probably be stunned by the substance of what Truss mentioned; it has been clear since Joe Biden received the US presidential election that in the meanwhile the deal is all however lifeless. However the truth that Truss was ready to confess this fairly brazenly is notable. Final yr, on the same journey to the US, Boris Johnson was more evasive.
In answering the query candidly, Truss was additionally burying a dedication within the Conservative get together’s 2019 manifesto, which mentioned:
Our objectives for British commerce are accordingly bold. We purpose to have 80 per cent of UK commerce lined by free commerce agreements inside the subsequent three years, beginning with the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
The Truss remark additionally marks the return of No 10 as a news-generation machine. After the death of the Queen, all government business was put on hold and even the sources who give journalists unattributable briefings kind of clammed up. However now political information is again. We will probably be listening to extra from Truss later at present, and this morning Michelle Donelan, the brand new tradition secretary, has achieved a full interview spherical. I’ll summarise the important thing factors shortly.
Labour opposed Brexit in 2016, however underneath Keir Starmer it’s now presenting itself because the get together that might “make Brexit work”, and it now routinely assaults the Tories for failing to implement Brexit correctly. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow worldwide commerce secretary, says Truss’s admission that the US free commerce deal received’t occur is “horrible information” for the economic system. He says:
The admission that there isn’t any prospect of a commerce take care of the USA is horrible information for the UK economic system – it’s costing billions in misplaced potential commerce alternatives and holding again development.
There is no such thing as a doubt that the blame for this mess lies on the door of the prime minister, who tarnished the UK’s worldwide status as overseas and worldwide commerce secretary. This is a humiliation for Liz Truss.
The Conservative manifesto promised a commerce take care of america by the top of this yr, now this has no probability of being delivered.
Solely the contemporary begin a Labour authorities can present will rebuild these worldwide relationships and run a commerce coverage centered on development.
Parliament is just not sitting at present. Right here is the agenda.
Lunchtime (UK time): Liz Truss is predicted to file interviews in New York, the place she is in a go to to attend the United Nations basic meeting.
Round 4pm (UK time): Truss is because of maintain a gathering with Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
Additionally, in some unspecified time in the future at present Brandon Lewis, the brand new justice secretary, is because of maintain a gathering with the Prison Bar Affiliation to debate the barristers’ strike.
I attempt to monitor the feedback beneath the road (BTL) however it’s inconceivable to learn all of them. In case you have a direct query, do embody “Andrew” in it someplace and I’m extra prone to discover it. I do attempt to reply questions, and if they’re of basic curiosity, I’ll publish the query and reply above the road (ATL), though I can’t promise to do that for everybody.
If you wish to appeal to my consideration rapidly, it’s most likely higher to make use of Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to e mail me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com