Theresa May ducks calls to start negotiating immediate new US trade deal with Donald Trump so as not to upset EU leaders
Former Cabinet minister Michael Gove has warned her not to look a gift horse in the mouth after his interview with the President Elect in New York
THERESA May has ducked calls to start negotiating an immediate new US trade deal with Donald Trump so as not to upset EU leaders.
Michael Gove called on her not to “look a gift horse in the mouth” over the President Elect’s big offer.
It was issued during an interview with the former Justice Secretary in New York for The Sun’s sister paper, The Times.
Under a strict EU edict, no members can begin formally drawing up new trade deals until they have left.
Encouraging Mrs May to ignore that, Mr Gove said: “The President Elect wants to have something signature ready at the earliest possible opportunity.
“If the most powerful man in the world says he wants his country and your country to have the strongest possible economic relationship, that is of course a gift horse that someone would want to look in the mouth.”
But No10 issued a cautious response, over fears that overriding EU law would infuriate the EU’s other leaders and destroy chances of a good Brexit deal – committing only to “scoping discussions” with Trump’s White House.
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The PM’s official spokeswoman said Mrs May welcomed, the “commitment” as well as the “enthusiasm and energy” that Mr Trump is showing to the UK.
But the spokeswoman added: “We’ve also been clear we will respect our obligations while we are still a member of the EU.
“We will be having scoping discussions about the areas that would benefit us most.”
Mr Gove also said Mr Trump’s trade deal offer gives the PM badly needed extra leverage in Brexit talks by strengthening Britain’s chances of succeeding elsewhere if we have to walk away with no single market access deal, dubbing it “another card in the Prime Minister’s hand, another arrow in her quiver”.
President Obama’s trade boss Michael Froman refused to begin talks with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox last year, insisting it was not the “appropriate time”.