Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg on Friday said President Donald Trumps warning that Theresa Mays choice to stand by the EUs common rule book for goods post Brexit would “limit” the U.K.s ability to strike a trade deal with the United States is “perfectly reasonable.”
Referring to an interview with the Sun in which Donald Trump accuses the British prime minister of “killing” any chance of a future trade deal with the U.S., Rees-Mogg told BBC Radio 4s Today program it is reasonable for a U.S president to intervene in matters of trade and foreign policy.
“What Donald Trump has set out is primarily his view on whether the U.S. will do a trade deal with the U.K. if we adopt the EUs common rule book — he said that was a choice for the U.K. but that he may not deal with us if we [made that choice]. Its a perfectly reasonable thing for an American president to say.”
The leading Euroskeptic MP said it is important to note that the EUs “process-driven” rule book would “limit the U.Ks ability to make changes to regulation.”
Doubling down on previous criticism of the U.K. governments new, softer approach to Brexit, Rees-Mogg said Trumps latest comments strike a significant cord because the U.K. government continues to advertise this deal as “good for trade.”
“This is very important, because if you cant do trade deal with your closest ally then who [with]?”
However, Sadiq Khan shot down Trumps comments that the London mayor is to blame for terror attacks in the U.K capital. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Khan said other cities like Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Nice had also been hit by the “evil of terrorism,” and said the “obvious question” is why Trump had chosen to “single me out?”
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