The UK has reportedly agreed to concessions on food and agriculture imports from the US as part of a trade deal aimed at easing export tariffs for the British car industry.
🐔 What’s the Beef?
The main sticking point has always been food standards. US producers want access to the UK market, but many of their practices, like chlorinated chicken, remain banned under British regulations. Despite this, the government appears ready to relax some rules to secure better terms for UK car manufacturers.
💥 Farming Industry Hits Back
Unsurprisingly, the move hasn’t gone down well with everyone. Save British Farming founder Liz Webster called it a “sell out” – a sentiment likely to resonate with many British farmers already struggling with post-Brexit costs.
💻 Digital Tax Under Fire
It’s not just food. Reports suggest the deal might also involve scrapping or cutting the 2% digital sales tax on US tech giants like Amazon and Google. This tax, introduced by Labour, has been a sore point for US negotiators.
🗳️ Call for a Parliamentary Vote
Opposition parties are now demanding that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer put the deal to a vote in Parliament. Lib Dem treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said Starmer “should not be afraid” to let MPs scrutinise the details if he’s confident it’s in the UK’s best interests.
“If the government is confident the agreement it has negotiated with Trump is in Britain’s national interest, it should not be afraid to bring it before MPs,” she said.
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