Barack Obama yesterday said the UK can expect no special favours on a trade deal with America after voting to leave the EU.
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum.
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’ in negotiating a new trade deal if it opted for Brexit.
He hinted again yesterday that any deal was likely to take time – with potentially serious consequences for UK-US trade in the meantime.
However, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg, another Eurosceptic Tory MP, added: ‘Fortunately, he is yesterday’s man and will no longer be President early next year.
‘The US is the UK’s single most important partner, and as far as I can see the EU-US trade deal is dead in the water. He’s putting a corpse ahead of the United States’ most loyal ally. These comments tell us all we need to know about how President Obama has never been a friend of ours.’
'Who cares what he says? He's going. Bye Bye': Obama's warning there will be no special trade deal for post-Brexit Britain is laughed off by leading Tories
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit
He suggested UK's relationship with US risked ‘unravelling’ after vote
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum with warnings
Leading Tories said Obama's words mean little because he is to depart
By Jason Groves For Daily Mail
5 September 2016
Barack Obama yesterday said the UK can expect no special favours on a trade deal with America after voting to leave the EU.
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum.
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’ in negotiating a new trade deal if it opted for Brexit.
He hinted again yesterday that any deal was likely to take time – with potentially serious consequences for UK-US trade in the meantime.
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’
Speaking after an hour-long meeting with Theresa May at the G20 summit in China, Mr Obama bridled at suggestions he had threatened to ‘punish’ Britain for leaving the EU.
He said he and Mrs May had confirmed the ‘very special relationship’ between the two countries, but added that he still believed the Brexit vote was a mistake, which could cost Britain dearly.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Mrs May, he said: ‘It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom’s participation in the EU. But I also said this was a decision for the British people.
‘What I have committed to Theresa is that we will consult closely with her as she and her Government move forward with Brexit negotiations to ensure that we don’t see adverse effects in trade and commercial relationships.
‘An enormous amount of trade already takes place. There is a lot of investment between British companies in the United States and US companies in the UK.
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith (right) said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Mrs May is holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the international gathering
‘That’s not going to stop. We are going to do everything to make sure the consequences of the decision don’t end up unravelling what is a very strong and robust economic relationship.’
Mr Obama’s original ‘back of the queue’ remark in April angered Eurosceptics. Speaking at the time, Boris Johnson accused the President of ‘bullying’ Britain.
But Mr Obama yesterday insisted that he was simply setting out the realities of the difficulties Britain would face after leaving the EU.
Mr Obama praised Mrs May as a ‘steadying influence during a time of transition’. He added: ‘At a time when the world order is under strain, the UK’s leadership on the world stage is essential.’
Mrs May, who has made building new trade arrangements her top priority at this week’s summit, said the talks had been positive.
‘We are both strong supporters of free trade and today we have discussed how to take forward consultations to ensure that the UK and US have the strongest possible trading relationship,’ she said.
The PM has also had an encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hangzhou
‘This reinforces my belief that as we forge a new global role for the UK we can and will seize the opportunities that Brexit presents and make a success of it.’
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg, another Eurosceptic Tory MP, added: ‘Fortunately, he is yesterday’s man and will no longer be President early next year.
‘The US is the UK’s single most important partner, and as far as I can see the EU-US trade deal is dead in the water. He’s putting a corpse ahead of the United States’ most loyal ally. These comments tell us all we need to know about how President Obama has never been a friend of ours.’
Government sources last night played down Mr Obama’s intervention, saying it was ‘not surprising’ he was prioritising big multilateral trade deals in his final months as President. A source said Mrs May had won agreement to start official-level talks on mapping out the framework of a future trade deal, although she acknowledged any agreement was ‘a way off’.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister rebuffed overtures from Vladimir Putin to reset the UK’s frosty economic relations with Russia.
She challenged the Russian President over Moscow’s intervention in Syria and warned him there could not be ‘business as usual’ in the relationship between the UK and the Kremlin.
During a tense 30-minute meeting, described as ‘formal and frank’ by No 10, Mrs May pushed the Russian leader over the need to secure access for aid convoys and demanded an end to the bombing of civilians.
A British official said: ‘The Prime Minister was clear that we can’t have a relationship that is business as usual. There are a number of complex and serious issues of concern.
‘But where it is in our interest to engage and work together, particularly on the safety of our citizens, then that is where we would be seeking to engage with the Russians.’
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum.
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’ in negotiating a new trade deal if it opted for Brexit.
He hinted again yesterday that any deal was likely to take time – with potentially serious consequences for UK-US trade in the meantime.
However, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg, another Eurosceptic Tory MP, added: ‘Fortunately, he is yesterday’s man and will no longer be President early next year.
‘The US is the UK’s single most important partner, and as far as I can see the EU-US trade deal is dead in the water. He’s putting a corpse ahead of the United States’ most loyal ally. These comments tell us all we need to know about how President Obama has never been a friend of ours.’
'Who cares what he says? He's going. Bye Bye': Obama's warning there will be no special trade deal for post-Brexit Britain is laughed off by leading Tories
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit
He suggested UK's relationship with US risked ‘unravelling’ after vote
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum with warnings
Leading Tories said Obama's words mean little because he is to depart
By Jason Groves For Daily Mail
5 September 2016
Barack Obama yesterday said the UK can expect no special favours on a trade deal with America after voting to leave the EU.
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum.
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’ in negotiating a new trade deal if it opted for Brexit.
He hinted again yesterday that any deal was likely to take time – with potentially serious consequences for UK-US trade in the meantime.
The President stepped up his controversial cautions about Brexit – and suggested Britain’s relationship with the United States risked ‘unravelling’ in the wake of the referendum
Mr Obama caused anger at the height of the referendum campaign when he used a visit to London to warn voters that the UK would go to ‘the back of the queue’
Speaking after an hour-long meeting with Theresa May at the G20 summit in China, Mr Obama bridled at suggestions he had threatened to ‘punish’ Britain for leaving the EU.
He said he and Mrs May had confirmed the ‘very special relationship’ between the two countries, but added that he still believed the Brexit vote was a mistake, which could cost Britain dearly.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Mrs May, he said: ‘It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom’s participation in the EU. But I also said this was a decision for the British people.
‘What I have committed to Theresa is that we will consult closely with her as she and her Government move forward with Brexit negotiations to ensure that we don’t see adverse effects in trade and commercial relationships.
‘An enormous amount of trade already takes place. There is a lot of investment between British companies in the United States and US companies in the UK.
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith (right) said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Mrs May is holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the international gathering
‘That’s not going to stop. We are going to do everything to make sure the consequences of the decision don’t end up unravelling what is a very strong and robust economic relationship.’
Mr Obama’s original ‘back of the queue’ remark in April angered Eurosceptics. Speaking at the time, Boris Johnson accused the President of ‘bullying’ Britain.
But Mr Obama yesterday insisted that he was simply setting out the realities of the difficulties Britain would face after leaving the EU.
Mr Obama praised Mrs May as a ‘steadying influence during a time of transition’. He added: ‘At a time when the world order is under strain, the UK’s leadership on the world stage is essential.’
Mrs May, who has made building new trade arrangements her top priority at this week’s summit, said the talks had been positive.
‘We are both strong supporters of free trade and today we have discussed how to take forward consultations to ensure that the UK and US have the strongest possible trading relationship,’ she said.
The PM has also had an encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hangzhou
‘This reinforces my belief that as we forge a new global role for the UK we can and will seize the opportunities that Brexit presents and make a success of it.’
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said of Mr Obama’s comments: ‘Who cares what he says? He’s going. Bye bye.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg, another Eurosceptic Tory MP, added: ‘Fortunately, he is yesterday’s man and will no longer be President early next year.
‘The US is the UK’s single most important partner, and as far as I can see the EU-US trade deal is dead in the water. He’s putting a corpse ahead of the United States’ most loyal ally. These comments tell us all we need to know about how President Obama has never been a friend of ours.’
Government sources last night played down Mr Obama’s intervention, saying it was ‘not surprising’ he was prioritising big multilateral trade deals in his final months as President. A source said Mrs May had won agreement to start official-level talks on mapping out the framework of a future trade deal, although she acknowledged any agreement was ‘a way off’.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister rebuffed overtures from Vladimir Putin to reset the UK’s frosty economic relations with Russia.
She challenged the Russian President over Moscow’s intervention in Syria and warned him there could not be ‘business as usual’ in the relationship between the UK and the Kremlin.
During a tense 30-minute meeting, described as ‘formal and frank’ by No 10, Mrs May pushed the Russian leader over the need to secure access for aid convoys and demanded an end to the bombing of civilians.
A British official said: ‘The Prime Minister was clear that we can’t have a relationship that is business as usual. There are a number of complex and serious issues of concern.
‘But where it is in our interest to engage and work together, particularly on the safety of our citizens, then that is where we would be seeking to engage with the Russians.’
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