Two trade fronts could open up for Britain if the Government negotiates adroitly
Leadership is about making unpopular decisions for the greater good and Sir Keir Starmer finds himself at that crossroads this week.
Brexit is a hot potato that no party in Westminster really wants to touch. Either way it has been a zero-sum game for all politicians.
While until now, the Government has been able to relatively stick its fingers in its ears and continue on the current path, it is evident that with the US threatening tariffs under Donald Trump, the Government needs to move quickly in strengthening trade ties with the EU.
While reserving the brunt of his ire for the EU, he also said the UK was “out of line”.
This is not about rejoining the single bloc. That would open a whole can of worms domestically and would only tie in Britain with the EU just as Trump is threatening it with greater tariffs.
What is required is a high-wire act from Sir Keir. At Brussels he’s going to need to charm our European neighbours so as to ensure that Britain benefits through favourable trade agreements in the future.
That won’t be without concessions but across the Atlantic, the US President is looking to make every nation fall in line with his demands.
By the same virtue, given Trump has thrown Britain an olive branch by saying he thinks a deal “can be worked out”, it is important that the Government does not antagonise the US unnecessarily.
Sir Keir is the first British PM to meet all 27 EU leaders since Britain left the single bloc. That is a damning indictment of the previous Tory Governments. How can Britain succeed as a freed trading nation if it isn’t willing to engage with the biggest market on its doorstep? It is no surprise that Britain has not been able to make Brexit work.
Labour must show that it is able to deliver on trade where the Tories failed.