UNEXPECTEDLY: Biden ditches trade deal talks with Britain.
Joe Biden has shelved plans for a pact with Britain that could have paved the way for a full post-Brexit trade deal.
The US president has decided not to move forward with a “foundational” agreement prepared by the US Trade Representative’s Office, which would have included negotiations over 11 areas of trade and regulation, following opposition from his party in the Senate.
Senate Democrats argued that the agreement would not have provided sufficient protection for American workers, Politico reported.
The UK’s hopes for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US date from before the Brexit referendum, and faced an early setback when Barack Obama told voters that Britain would go to “the back of the queue” for a deal if it left the EU.
But despite US support for an FTA in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2016, the chance of a deal has now fallen to “zero” under Mr Biden, the Government believes.
I wonder if Joe’s boss made the decision? Flashback to April of 2016: A British politician says Barack Obama is the most anti-British president ever.