Emily Thornberry gave her counterpart a run for her money in parliament today as she hit out at the government’s Asia-Pacific trade agreements.
The shadow international trade secretary highlighted the New Zealand trade pact, signed today, that was heralded as a “great deal” by Boris Johnson – despite it adding no value to the UK’s gross domestic product.
Taking the issue to Penny Mordaunt, the Labour MP asked: “Is it correct that New Zealand exports to the UK will increase by five times as much as UK exports to New Zealand?
“And that New Zealand’s GDP will grow by half a billion pounds while the UK’s GDP will not increase by a single penny?”
Mordaunt responded that her shadow counterpart was not looking at the long-term benefits of the deal, but she was quickly rebutted by Thornberry.
“There is a real problem that this is now the third Asia-Pacific agreement in a row where more than 80 per cent of the projected growth in trade has gone to exporters in those other countries.
“The government says that they are tilting to Asia, I have to say that Asia is taking us to the cleaners.”
Watch the clip in full below:
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