YP Comment: May's vision

The Prime Minister was at pains to reach out to the new United States president-elect, Donald Trump, in her first major foreign policy speech, a shrewd move since the indications from his camp are that he will look favourably on an early trade deal with Britain.

But Mrs May had also to reach out to the EU, her keenness to work with what she called “old allies” an indication of her understanding that trading links with Europe will be central to Britain’s future fortunes.

Inevitably, there was a lack of detailed policy in her speech. Mrs May’s difficulty in being too specific is that her Government appears still not to know what form Brexit will take in terms of trade agreements and immigration controls.

Nor can it yet be certain of either the approach the EU will take to negotiations, or the state of the US economy under Mr Trump, and the possible consequences for world markets.

Nevertheless, the broad ambitions that Mrs May set out, of Britain being a leading advocate of free trade and flexible in forging new relationships, are likely to be widely welcomed both internationally and at home.

There remain many imponderables about Brexit, but positioning Britain as an enthusiastic and enterprising trading partner is a sensible position to adopt at this stage – especially at a time of such political upheaval and uncertainty around the world.

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