Jonathon Reynolds said a trade deal with the EU has been “hard to negotiate” as more “challenges” have arisen because the Tory government didn’t “fulfil” promises made during the Brexit referendum, The London Economic can reveal.
Asked about gaining trade deals at the India Global Forum last month, he said: “It is slightly hard to negotiate with the Customs Union [following Brexit], isn’t it? But it’s definitely a priority.
“I think there’s also a message there that the world is looking for people to try and find a way through some of these issues.”
He added: “I mean, first of all, this is a very challenging time. Trade has become one of the top items on news programs in a way that you know, frankly, we wouldn’t usually quite expect. I believe it has come in terms of the decision that we took as a country to leave the European Union. That’s obviously opened up the possibilities of the India trade deal, which is quite exciting, but you know, a lot of promises were made to the British people during that referendum that weren’t really fulfilled, like ‘global Britain’.
“We want the UK to be one of the best connected markets in the world, if not the best connected market, and that would come from being able to be in Parliament, the vehicle that could deliver a deal like UK-India.
“We could not be perhaps encumbered by the past and that referendum and come to terms with the European Union, to improve the deal in a way that doesn’t exclude opportunities around the rest of the world.”
“We’ve had that breakthrough with the U.S and we have other things in the pipeline,” he said before suggesting that a deal and closer relations with the EU are imminent.
The business secretary also hinted at an upcoming trade deal with the GCC, with the clearest indication yet that another deal with six Middle Eastern countries is forthcoming.
Asked about the government’s next trade deal, he said: “In the Labour manifesto, the priorities were India and the GCC so it is definitely a priority.