LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is negotiating several bilateral trade deals to come into effect once its exit from the European Union is complete at the end of the year.

FILE PHOTO: European Union and British flags flutter in front of a chancellery ahead of a visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May in Berlin, Germany, April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo

The Department for International Trade has prioritised deals with the EU, the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Heres where things stand:

Total trade value: 232.7 billion pounds (1)

Both sides have said they want a quick deal, but there are clear hurdles. The United States elects a new president in November, and the UK says there is no set timetable because it does not want time pressure to be used against it.

Two rounds of talks have taken place so far, with the third expected to begin on Monday. Both sides have described the talks as constructive and positive, but there are underlying tensions.

The United States imposed retaliatory tariffs on EU exports, including some from Britain, after a row over aircraft subsidies. Britain has demanded that those tariffs, which apply to a wide range of goods including Scotch whisky and tailored suits, be removed to show goodwill.

Other high-profile issues include whether a deal will give U.S. firms access to Britains state-funded healthcare system, and whether Britain will accept U.S. food hygiene standards. The British government says the National Health Service is not on the table, and food standards will not be lowered.

Total trade value: 673 billion pounds (1)

Britain and the European Union have held six formal rounds of talks on a trade agreement to form part of a deal on their future relationship when a status quo transition period expires at the end of this year.

Both sides agreed last month to speed up their talks but their positions are far apart, particularly on the level playing field guarantees of fair competition and on fisheries.

Britain said after the last round that an agreement could be reached in September; EU officials say the earliest any breakthrough could come is towards the end of August.

Total trade value: 18.6 billion pounds (1)

Britain said in its negotiating mandate, published on June 17, that it wanted an ambitious and comprehensive deal including a focus on technology, innovation and research and development.

The first round of talks was held remotely between June 29 and July 10. Trade minister Liz Truss said: Discussions between negotiators were productive and reflected our shared ambition to secure a comprehensive deal to boost trade and investment between our like-minded economies.

The next round of talks is planned for September.

Total trade value: 31.6 billion pounds (1)

Negotiations began in June. Both sides have said they want a deal to come into force by the end of 2020.

Tokyo wanted to conclude talks by the end of July, but Truss has since said she will not be bounced into signing a deal because of time pressure.

Britain says any deal with Japan should be at least as good as the one signed with the EU, and that that deal can be used as a template to speed the process up.

British analysis estimated that, in the long run, the trade deal could increase annual trade flows between both countries by 15.2 billion pounds and increase the size of the UK economy by 1.5 billion pounds.

Total trade value: 2.9 billion pounds (1)

Britain said in its negotiating mandate, published on June 17, that it wanted an ambitious and comprehensive deal supporting both governments Net Zero commitments on climate change.

The first round of trade talks began via videoconference on July 13 and concluded on July 24. Further rounds are expected in due course, Britain said.

(1) Office for National Statistics, UK total trade; all countries, non-seasonally adjusted, 2019, as of July 23.

here

Reporting by William James and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kevin Liffey

See original here:

Factbox: What progress is Britain making on post-Brexit trade deals? - Reuters UK

Video

PUBLISHED: 11:05 27 July 2020 | UPDATED: 11:50 27 July 2020

Adrian Zorzut

Former prime minister Tony Blair. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA.

PA Wire/PA Images

Email this article to a friend

To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

Become a Supporter

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only continue to grow with your support.

The former Labour prime minister said the probe was a matter of national security.

Speaking after Boris Johnson dismissed a parliamentary committees recommendation for an investigation, Blair said: Were still with one of the best security services in the world - youve got to build the capability to investigate what foreign governments are trying to do in interfering with our system and expose it and the more you expose it, the less effective it will be or the less it will happen.

I think it would be sensible to investigate what has happened but really, the most important thing is to create the capacity for the future, to make sure that you know whats going on in your democratic politics because this interference - and its only one aspect of cyber-security, by the way - this interference is going to be more and more widespread because the capabilities are much greater.

Blairs comments come after the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), a Westminster panel tasked with scrutinising Britains intelligence community, released a 50-page report detailing instances of Moscows interference in UK elections and institutions.

The document, dubbed the Russia report, claimed wealthy Russian figures with connection to president Vladimir Putin regularly donate to British political parties.

It called Russian involvement in British institutions the new normal and blasted successive governments for not wanting to address the issue of the 2016 vote with a 10-foot pole.

According to a survey by pollsters Opinium, almost half of the British public (49%) think that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 vote, including 39% of those who voted for Leave and 63% who supported Remain.

Head of polling at Opinium, Adam Drummond, said: Although the EU referendum is the most obvious example, whats interesting is the consistent pattern across all election and referendums over the past five years where around half of voters believe that the Russian government interfered with our political process, and this belief is about twice as high among Remain voters as Leave voters.

That said, the fact that more believe it happened than did not happen and that 66% of UK adults put Russia in the threat category, suggests a degree of political consensus about the problem in the future.

Touching on the committees findings, Blair added: We live in a new world today where cyber-security is going to be a massive, massive question for government and there are governments that want to weaken the West; we know basically why they want to do it, and weve just got to make sure that they are all the time constrained.

Blair added that it would be foolish to think the referendum result was a consequence of Russian interference.

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

Follow this link:

Tony Blair calls for an investigation into Russian involvement in Brexit referendum - The New European

SMEs thrive on attracting and retaining the brightest and best talent, but with forthcoming changes heralding the restriction of movement for EU citizens, they could find themselves unable to employ who they want, when they want to.

Lawyers are advising companies to get ready for the new immigration rules, knowing that failure to do so could have a dramatic effect on future growth and recruitment plans.

Following recent government announcements, it is clear that Brexit is still very much on the cards for the end of the year and companies need to prepare for the new immigration laws coming into force on January 1.

These laws mean that, to employ EU nationals currently not living in the UK after that, all business, no matter what size, will need a Sponsor Licence. This licence grants a company permission from the Home Office to employ overseas staff previously something only needed for non-EU workers.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, there is currently an estimated 2.31 million EU nationals working in the UK and these changes could affect many sectors reliant on attracting new talent and staff from overseas. Aldijana Hoad, director at immigration law firm OTB Legal acknowledges that with the country still in the grip of the Covid-19 crisis, Brexit is something far from our minds.

We understand that for some companies, the future is uncertain, and many are focusing to how to survive and operate in the future, so to have something else to think about right now is difficult, she said.

There were suggestions that the new immigration rules would be delayed because of Lockdown but the latest government guidance states they are still on track.

With this in mind, we want to stress how important it is for companies to apply for a Sponsor Licence now if they want to take on new EU nationals from overseas next year.

The rules are also being relaxed to allow bosses to employ overseas nationals with A-Level or equivalent standard skills from January.

Companies need to consider what the impact would be on their workforce and recruitment plans and subsequent delivery of goods and services

This compares to the degree level required previously when filling a vacancy and could see Sponsor Licence applications increase, as companies look to take on staff at different skill levels.

Aldijana said: With less than six months to prepare and an average two-month turnaround on the application process, its important to get started. Companies need to consider what the impact would be on their workforce and recruitment plans and subsequent delivery of goods and services, if there was a delay in getting a Sponsor Licence granted.

Over 15 per cent of Sponsor Licence Applications are refused due to issues such as companies not providing the required documents or not responding in a timely manner. If an application is refused, there is a cooling-off period of six months and a new application cant be made until after that date.

For companies currently employing EU nationals living in the UK, those individuals have until June 30, 2021 to apply to the Home Office for settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. If they dont apply before then, they would lose their right to live and work here and would be illegally employed.

Its not just about attracting new staff but also protecting your existing workforce. It is vital for employers to complete right to work checks on anyone they take on as the consequence of employing someone illegally could be devastating, she said.

Penalties could be up to 20,000 per illegal worker, criminal sanctions, including up to five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine and companies could also face the loss of reputation as the Home Office publishes the names of businesses fined for employing illegal workers.

Our advice is to seek guidance to ensure everything is in order in good time, allowing you to protect the future of your business and your current workforce.

Excerpt from:

Freedom of movement and the importance of being Brexit-ready - SME Magazine

PUBLISHED: 12:43 25 July 2020

Steve Anglesey

Gianluigi Paragone, the former Five Star Movement senator who is heading up the new 'No Europe for Italy' party. Picture: Andrea Ronchini/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Andrea Ronchini/NurPhoto

After Nigel Farages role in Brexit, STEVE ANGLESEY looks at why he might be tempted to try to pull off something similar in Italy.

Email this article to a friend

To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

Become a Supporter

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only continue to grow with your support.

Mussolini can be quite funny, Nigel Farage told a Channel 4 reality show in 2014. I saw his granddaughter last week Pretty girl, pretty girl.

These are opinions Farage might want to keep on the QT now he appears to be acting as unofficial advisor to Italys version of the Brexit Party, which is due to launch this week. Since historians hold Mussolinis 20-year-long reign responsible for the deaths of one million of his countrymen, its just possible that not all Italians will chuckle along with Nigel at the thought of his memory.

Neither, youd imagine, would they be too impressed to learn that Hermann Kelly, who worked as a PR man for Farages EFDD grouping in the European parliament, used to refer to his boss as Il Duce (Thats just a bit of fun, isnt it, Nigel told Politico in 2018). Or to recall how in 2017, Farage was booed by Italian MEPs for comparing the EU to the mafia, later withdrawing his remark on the grounds of national sensitivities.

And you cannot see them looking too fondly on Farages speech in early March at the Daily Telegraphs Heroes of Brexit event, when he claimed Italys battle with Covid-19 presented a golden opportunity for Britain: This awful crisis and the way it is gripping parts of Italy makes a trade deal with the EU easier now than its ever, ever been. The collapsing Italian economy needs a deal with the UK desperately, he said.

None of this will matter much to Farage fanboy Gianluigi Paragone, the former Five Star Movement senator for who is heading up the new No Europe for Italy party names like Quitalia and Italexit having been deemed too Anglophone which is already polling around 7%. He calls Farage a true British patriot, hailing him for bringing the United Kingdom out of the European Union cage... the only one who sent away the technocrats from Brussels.

The former talk show host shares Farages awkward squad tendencies; public criticism of his partys fading commitment to Euroscepticism saw him kicked out of Five Star earlier this year. Paragone says the pair have discussed the present and future of a truly sovereign country which, even more so after Brexit, is able to give real answers to citizens in the midst of the post-Covid economic crisis.

Its hardly surprising to hear that Farage is interested in helping out. Along with the Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands and risibly Ireland, Italy is a country hes mentioned repeatedly as being prime for the next Brexit.

Until recently, the polls were firmly against him, with the Italian research institute Censis reporting late last year that only 25% believed leaving the EU was a good idea against 62% who thought it a bad idea. But the unions muddled response has been another silver lining from coronavirus for Farage; in April a Tecn poll put the numbers at an uncomfortable 51%-49% in favour of Remain.

Those polls are expected to move away from Leave after Italy became one of the key beneficiaries of the EU recovery fund that was finally agreed on Tuesday morning prime minister Giuseppe Conte says it will receive 28% of the 675 billion available in grants and loans but Farage has good reason to stay interested. Not only does it look like his lucrative private jet trips to the USA will become far more infrequent after Thursday, November 3, but Italy represents some kind of spiritual homeland for Brexit.

It was after discussions with Five Star co-founder Gianroberto Casaleggio in Milan in January 2015 that Farage resolved to make Facebook and data the key battlegrounds for pro-Leave campaigning, telling the political scientists Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo: If I was starting UKIP today would I spend 20 years speaking to people in village halls or would I base it on the [Five Star co-founder Beppe] Grillo model? I know exactly what I would do.

Casaleggios methods attracted the eye of Arron Banks too, making the Milan meeting a fatal first step on the road to Leave just 17 months on. The Brexit Party, which toppled Theresa May and appears to have forced Britain into the kind of Brexit that in 2016 existed only in the wildest dreams of the wildest Leavers, was founded in Five Stars image.

Banks can now be found working for crotchety right-winger Winston Peters in his flagging New Zealand general election campaign against hugely popular incumbent PM Jacinda Ardern, telling website Newshub Nation this week that he is determined to deliver Winston on steroids a happy warrior.

Far cry, isnt it, from the days after Barack Obama delivered his pro-Remain Get to the back of the queue speech in March 2016? Back then, Banks organisation responded with a Back Off, Barack! petition and Farage warned him to butt out of the Brexit debate.

Honestly, the cheek of these foreigners trying to interfere in the democratic process of other countries...

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

Read this article:

Nigel Farage's attempts to spark another 'Brexit' in Italy - The New European

A petition has been launched calling for the European Union flag to be taken down from outside Scottish Government buildings following Brexit.

The petition lodged on the Scottish Government site calls for the Scottish peoples view to be tested on the issue post-Brexit.

It comes after a move to stop flying the EU flag at the Scottish Parliament was shelved following a backlash from MSPs after ministers said that the flag should be flown in recognition of the contribution of EU national in Scotland.

READ MORE:EU negotiator warns post-Brexit trade deal unlikely

The Scotsman reports that Holyroods petition committee is now considering the issue after the petition was lodged by Philip Smith this month.

The petition reads: This petition is necessary to ensure the Scottish Government stops flying the flag of an organisation that the United Kingdom is no longer a member of, he states.

READ MORE:Iain Macwhirter: It's clear BoJo still doesnt get Scots (and its not the economy, stupid)

Although we have left the European Union, Scotland is still a member of the Commonwealth.

The petition should be allowed to test the Scottish peoples view on whether to have the Commonwealth flag flying in place of the European at Scottish Government buildings.

An example of where this has already taken place is Gibraltar which is now proudly flying the Commonwealth flag.

Responding to the petition, ministers told The Scotsman that the EU flag is flownto provide a concrete and visible expression of the value that we place on the contribution that EU nationals have made to our country.

The UK ceased to be a member of the European Union at the end of January, with talks continuing about the relationship after Brexit.The UKs chief negotiator, David Frost, said talks have not yet reached any agreement following intensified discussions between the two sides.

Excerpt from:

Petition launched calling for European Union flag to be removed from outside Scottish Government buildings - HeraldScotland

Northern Ireland was at the centre of the Brexit negotiations last year when former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to settle the dispute over the Northern Ireland backstop. They agreed to put up a customs border in the Irish Sea in a move called the Northern Ireland Protocol, which would protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent tensions returning to the Irish border. This means Northern Ireland will stay in the customs union and single market, but will no longer be able to contribute to the governance of either.

However, Stormont will be able to vote on whether to maintain this system every four years with the issue seemingly resolved, the Withdrawal Agreement came into effect in January.

Yet, as post-Brexit trade talks are on the cusp of collapse this week after Britain threatened to walk away, theres concern that there has not been enough preparation for the new system that will come into place in the Irish Sea.

Professor Colin Harvey, from Queens University Belfast, wrote for Irish broadcaster RTE back in 2019 that Brexit could lead Northern Ireland to rejoin the EU.

He claimed Brexit has had a destabilising impact on relationships across these islands.

Prof Harvey continued: The border on the island becomes an external border of the EU after Brexit, will all the symbolism that this carries combined with the severe practical implications.

He added the border is still of profound concern to the Irish Government and the EU.

He also claimed that the decision of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to back Brexit divided Northern Ireland along unionist and nationalists.

Consequently, the DUP ended up on the opposite side of the table as the Remainers who made up the majority of the Northern Irish public by 56 percent.

READ MORE:Micheal Martins fury with UK for showing bad faith in Brexit demand

The Ireland expert added the likelihood of Irish reunification had been increased by Brexit.

He suggested that this was because the foundational objectives of the EU chime well with the values underpinning the peace process of the Good Friday Agreement.

Prof Harvey then said: The Good Friday Agreement contains a mechanism that would allow Northern Ireland to return automatically to the EU.

It is likely that interest in this will intensify.

He added that Northern Irelands status rests on the principle of consent which Mr Johnson attempted to address by allowing Stormont to vote on the matter every four years.

DON'T MISSFormer Taoiseach revived Project Fear with Northern Ireland warning[INSIGHT]EU hand laid bare: Ex-Irish PM admitted bloc is lobbying for no deal[EXPLAINED]How Northern Ireland turned on Boris Johnsons pilot project' in UK[REVEALED]

Prof Harvery continued: The EU has already provided clarification: the whole territory of a united Ireland would be part of the EU.

This opens a new dimension in the context of a society where a majority of people have voted to remain, and where many are profoundly worried about the impact of Brexit.

He pointed out how the arguments in favour of Irish unification will now include rejoining the EU, too.

Still, he conceded: The persuasiveness of this will depend on the type of Brexit that emerges, and much of this will have to be tested against what happens in practice.

He concluded: A no-deal Brexit or any form of hard Brexit will simply energise the unity discussion.

Prof Harveys piece in RTE was published just four days after Mr Johnson and Mr Varadkar claimed they saw a pathway to agreeing over Northern Ireland a pathway which led to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

However, Katy Hayward wrote in a blog post for LSE earlier this year that Stormonts consent on the Protocol did not have as much weight as previously thought.

She explained: In an effort to assure unionists in particular, the impression being given [by Westminster] is that, if they dont like the Protocol, they can invest efforts into getting rid of it via the democratic consent vote provided in Article 18.

The inclusion of Article 18 was itself an effort to assuage concerns in Northern Ireland (particularly those of unionists) that they would have no say over the Protocol.

She added: There are many aspects of it (e.g. articles on the protection of rights, safeguards and the Common Travel Area) that will apply regardless of how a majority of MLAs fall in a future consent vote.

To follow Prof Harveys logic, without consent in Northern Ireland for the post-Brexit arrangements, support for reunification and subsequently rejoining the EU could grow substantially.

See the rest here:

Brexit shock: How Northern Ireland could return to EU after UK departure - Daily Express

PUBLISHED: 11:00 27 July 2020

Piers MeylerLocal Democracy Reporter

Four Essex districts are losers from the Brexit vote including Uttlesford, new research suggests. Picture: PA/ PA WIRE

Archant

Email this article to a friend

To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

Uttlesford, Southend, Rochford and Castle Point have all been performing worse financially after 2016 than models predicted Brexit had not happened, research from the University of Warwick has found.In Castle Point 72.7 percent of the electorate voted to leave, one of the highest leave votes in the country.Rochford voted 66.6 percent to leave.However, another four districts, namely Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester have also performed worse than what otherwise would have been predicted without Brexit. All four voted to leave.Looking at the annual district-level data available up to 2018, the results suggest that among the 14 districts in Essex, eight recorded a 2018 gross value added that is smaller compared to their synthetic control while six report a higher value for 2018 compared to their synthetic control.Epping Forest is the biggest winner in Essex with an 18 percent difference in the gross value added compared to what would have been expected without Brexit.Thurrock, which voted 72.3 percent leave, was also categorised as a clear winner.In conclusion the researchers say: The research confirms existing work that has estimated that by 2018, Brexit has cost the UK economy at least two percent of real output.We find that these costs are far from evenly distributed across the UK. Within regions, districts whose regional economies depend heavily on manufacturing sector, appear to be particularly severely hit. Similarly, districts with relatively higher shares of residents with low educational attainment appear more exposed.Lastly, we also find that districts with higher support for Brexit in 2016 appear also more exposed to the Brexit-vote cost to date this highlights that quite likely, the cost of Brexit may exacerbate the already large regional economic disparities across regions in the UK.

This is particularly concerning as growing economic inequalities may further accelerate a trend that may result in the political disintegration of the United Kingdom.

If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Saffron Walden Reporter. Click the link in the orange box below for details.

Read the original here:

Uttlesford one of four negatively impacted by Brexit vote - Saffron Walden Reporter

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said a Brexit trade deal can still be done by the end of the year, but warned he would not compromise on key issues like fishing rights, reports theScotsman.

He was speaking out after Brussels chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a trade deal between the UK and the EU was "unlikely" before the end of the year when the post-Brexit transition phase comes to an end.

The UKs chief negotiator David Frost also admitted after the latest round of talks that a deadline for a breakthrough by the end of July would be missed, adding that "we must face the possibility that one will not be reached".

But Johnson said he was hopeful a deal could be done before the end of 2020.

"[EU chiefs] are thinking 'my goodness thats a tall order'. But actually [no compromise on fisheries] is the right thing for the UK. In the early 1970s, we basically handed over control of our fisheries, we gave up our fisheries in the last throes of the Heath negotiations in a way that permanently disadvantaged UK fishers and Scottish fishers as well. Nows the time to change that and change that back."

Excerpt from:

UK PM again insists fishing rights will not be traded in Brexit deal - Undercurrent News

NewsOpinionColumnistsDonald Trumps administration is continuing to treat the UK as a member of the EU for the purpose of sanctions in the Airbus trade dispute and is about to extend its list of goods subject to prohibitive tariffs, writes Brian Wilson

Saturday, 25th July 2020, 7:30 am

Acting as faithful follower of American foreign policy has always carried risks as well as rewards.

The UK Government would do well to remember that historic truth before digging itself deeper into hostilities with China, in line with the current American way.

There was no shortage of reasons offered for pulling the plug on Huawei in the UK security initially topped the bill followed by Hong Kong and alleged human rights violations against the Uyghurs.

None of these is new and the general rule of international trade is that noses must be held if the show is to go on. Diplomacy rather than trade is the avenue for influencing errant states.

Ethical foreign policy is a noble concept but endlessly difficult to pursue consistently which is why it makes sense to separate it from trade, except in extreme circumstances.

The contention that these exist would have been more convincing if President Trump had not promptly informed the world that the UK ditched Huawei because he told them to, which is probably the truth of the matter.

One of the problems with pleading high-mindedness is that once started, there is no logical point to stop. If China is so awful, do we really want their students? Do we want them to control 25 per cent of the North Sea? Do we want them funding our infrastructure?

It is not as if China lacks options. They also have a fair grasp of their own history which does not necessarily predispose them to regard the UK as a font of virtue and righteousness, entitled to lecture them on how to conduct their affairs.

Presumably someone in Whitehall has noticed that Beijing is hoovering up soft power around the world with its astonishing Silk Road intiative which involves trillions of investment in scores of countries.

The Silk Road is not a geographically limiting term but flows from the concept of China as the worlds first global trader, regardless of oceans and borders. Via the Silk Road, it is seeking to regain that status from Africa to Latin America. Do they really need the UK that much?

A bellicose trade war with China in election year may be just what President Trump needs. It is less clear, as we walk away from the EU and reel from the Covid-19 aftermath, that it is what the UK needs.

And what of the United States on which we seem to be placing all available bets? It should not go unnoticed that, in the real world, our great ally across the water is currently waging a trade war against us not for us.

Though we are outside the EU, Washington continues to behave as if we are inside for the purpose of sanctions arising from the Airbus dispute. The World Trade Organisation authorised punitive US tariffs on random products in retaliation for illegal subsidies paid by Brussels.

Products targeted for prohibitive tariffs already include malt whisky, cashmere knitwear and shortbread. There is suspicion this selection reflects Trumps animus towards Scotland in light of the great fall-out which followed the great love-in. I know from personal experience remember the Banana Wars? that none of these things happen by accident.

Matters may be about to get much worse. By 12 August, the US will decide on an extension of the list which may include blended whisky and gin. Not everybody knows this, but 80 per cent of UK gin is now made in Scotland. If this happens, it is reckoned that 6,500 jobs are at risk.

It is surely time for the UK Government to call in whatever chips it holds in Washington to point out its not a good look to be attacked by your greatest ally at the same time as turning your back on past friends (the EU) and valuable partners (China).

Conversely, sorting this one out would be a decent advert not least in Scotland for taking back control. Failure to do so by 12 August will reinforce the alternative thought that with Trump as your best friend in the world, who needs enemies?

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit http://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Go here to see the original:

Despite Brexit, Donald Trump's trade war with EU is putting thousands of Scottish jobs at risk Brian Wilson - The Scotsman

Last year, the steel company plunged into insolvency after Government funding was scrapped and the Chinese company promised a "new chapter in British steelmaking".

Jingye, which is run by a former Communist Party official, paid around 70million for the acquisition and saved around 3,200 jobs.

But as tensions with Beijing grow, the Brexit Party are demanding UK infrastructure should be own by UK firms.

Nigel Farages party conducted a survey of 37,000 people asking, "Are you comfortable that the Chinese firm Jingye acquired British Steel in March 2020, given that it provides key steel supplies for UK infrastructure?"

Out of those who voted between July 12 and July 18, around 96 percent said they were uneasy with the Chinese taking over the company.

Posting the results on Twitter, the party said: Of 37,000 who took part in a survey of our supporters, 96 percent were uneasy with Jingyes takeover of British Steel.

46 percent said key UK infrastructure suppliers should be majority-owned by UK firms; 45 percent said they should be wholly owned by UK firms.

Announcing the news back in March, business secretary Alok Sharma said: Jingye has reached a significant milestone in securing a deal for the future of British Steel.

Work continues towards completing the sale, which will give certainty to British Steels dedicated and talented workforce in Scunthorpe, Skinningrove and on Teesside.

READ MORE:British Steel made with Russian coal leaves North East miners jobless

The Brexit Party anger comes after tensions between Britain and Beijing continue to rise.

Despite China having the second-largest economy in the world and its own space programme, it has emerged 71million of taxpayers money was given to the super-rich country in just one year, sparking calls for an inquiry.

The staggering figure was buried in the Department for International Developments annual report, which was put out this week as MPs go on their summer break.

The money is also being spent on training primary school teachers and combating illegal trade in wildlife, despite numerous exotic meat farms still running throughout the Communist nation.

DON'T MISSTurn off the tap! Boris ordered to stop taxpayer handouts to China[COMMENT]Andrew Pierce rages at UK 'outrageous' aid bill to China 'Infuriating'[INSIGHT]China's debt rockets as Beijing tries to recover from coronavirus[REVEAL]

According to reports, the money is also used to support human rights despite Beijings crackdown of Uyghur Muslims.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, which was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said 3billion would be cut from the aid budget next year.

Last week, the UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in protest at the Chinese crackdown in the former British colony.

China responded with fury and warned they will make a forceful counter-attack, sparking fears of a World War 3 outbreak.

Mr Raab said the UK Government would not be re-activating the extradition treaty.

He said: We will not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation.

The former British colony maintained its autonomy from Beijing since 1997 when the UK handed Hong Kong back to mainland China.

But in June, the Communist nation introduced a new security law viewed as an attempt to end Hong Kongs independence.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the move and promised to offer up to three million residents a route to UK citizenship.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has become an international outcast following allegations of hacking, national security fears and human rights controversies.

Read the original here:

Hands Off British Steel! Brexit Party fury over Chinese takeover of vital UK industry - Express