It’s a day ending in ‘y’ – so of course Keir Starmer is spinning like a top. Donald Trump’s inauguration this week has sparked a raft of speculation (again) about a long-awaited US-UK trade deal. The Telegraph reports that the Prime Minister is taking this push seriously: so seriously in fact that he has now convened a ‘mini-Cabinet’ of senior ministers to draw up ways to persuade the incoming US president to come to an agreement. Meetings are convened by Jonathan Powell: architect of the Chagos deal. Truly, a government of all the talents.
Of course, the newly-elected President might be less keen on a deal: especially when he remembers all the rather rude things that half the British cabinet have said about him. And what of the Prime Minister, the man who once called himself ‘anti-Trump’? It was not so very long ago that he, as Shadow Brexit Secretary, was screaming that a trade deal with America would have ‘profound’ effects on ‘public services, businesses and for workers’ rights.’
Cast your mind back to November 2019 when Starmer warned the House of Commons that:
We are moving our gaze away from the EU as our most important trading partner and our gaze goes elsewhere, across the Atlantic, to a trade deal with the United States, with obvious consequences for our public services, for businesses, for food and environmental standards and for workers’ rights. I know that for some Members that has always been the key purpose of Brexit, but it would be profound, because we would move away from a European-style economy with a level playing field underpinned by strong rights and protections, to a different economic model based on deregulation, low tax and low standards. In short, we would end up with an arm’s length relationship with the EU and would be hand in hand with the United States. That is not something that the Opposition will ever countenance.
‘Not something’ that Labour ‘will ever countenance’ – what changed Keir? Guess when your growth forecasts are as low as Rachel’s, you can’t afford to be picky about where the money comes from…
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