Accusation: Tim Farron calling for MPs to see trade deal before it is signed THERE has been a mixed reaction from Cumbrian MPs to the Government’s proposed 15-year transition to a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal with Australia. While Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee urges caution and patience over the trade deal, South Lakes MP, Tim Farron has accused the Government of selling out British farming after it emerged that MPs would not get to scrutinise the UK’s trade deal with Australia before it is signed.
Penrith MP Neil Hudson
A committee of MPs has written to the Government calling for clarification and scrutiny of the Australia trade agreement which it says is causing distress and concern in the farming community.
The chairman of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee has today written to the International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, calling for any agreement in principle with Australia to be published as soon as it is signed off.
The committee highlight the distress and concern in the farming community caused by reports the UK is offering a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal. He has therefore called for the key details of the agreement to be made public as soon as possible, ahead of the agreement of the full legal text later in the year, to allow scrutiny of potential implications for UK farmers.
In 2012 a group of five recently elected Conservative MPs contributed to Britannia Unchained, a paean to deregulation, tax cuts and privatisation. Two of its co-authors, Priti Patel and Dominic Raab, now hold two of the great offices of state (the Home Office and the Foreign Office). A further two, the International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the Business Secretary Kwasi
Trade Secretary uses G7 to call for WTO reform.
UK will urge G7 governments to rally behind tougher measures against market-distorting practices from nations, including better data-sharing and transparency.
Truss will push for collective G7 support for creation of rules governing digital and data trade and making international trade greener.
The International Trade Secretary will use the UK-hosted G7 Trade Ministerial meeting this week (27 to 28 May) to rally the world’s leading democracies to the cause of WTO reform.
Liz Truss will push for a fully-functioning dispute settlement system, to tackle unfair subsidies in industry and agriculture, to modernise the WTO rulebook, and advance digital and green trade.