Trump tells Britain to 'walk away' if EU does not yield on Brexit

[webfact]

Trump tells Britain to 'walk away' if EU does not yield on Brexit

By Paul Sandle and Stephen Addison

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony in Colorado, Springs, Colorado, U.S., May 30, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay a $50 billion (39.5 billion pounds) European Union divorce bill and "walk away" from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give ground.

 

Trump told the Sunday Times newspaper ahead of a state visit to Britain, which starts on Monday, that Britain's next leader should send arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage to conduct EU talks.

 

Once Britain leaves the EU, which Trump said must happen this year, then he would go "all out" to agree a trade deal.

 

"They've got to get it done," he said in the Sunday Times interview. "They have got to get the deal closed."

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May will step down shortly after this week's Trump visit, having failed to win backing for the Brexit divorce deal she negotiated with the EU.

 

Trump said her successor should pursue a "no-deal" Brexit if he or she could not get more concessions from Europe by the end of October, when Britain is due to leave.

 

"If they don't get what they want, I would walk away," he said. "If you don't get a fair deal, you walk away."

 

The 13 candidates already in the leadership race are split between those willing to accept a "no-deal" and those opposed.

 

In the "no deal" camp are former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, whom Trump praised in an interview with the Sun newspaper on Friday, along with former Brexit minister Dominic Raab and interior minister Sajid Javid.

 

Trump said the United States could work "very, very quickly" on a trade deal if Britain was not constrained by a transition period agreed with Brussels.

 

ALL ON THE TABLE

The U.S. Ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said any such trade deal would include agriculture and healthcare.

 

"In a trade deal, all things that are traded will be on the table," he told the BBC on Sunday. Asked if that included healthcare, he replied: "I would think so".

 

Concerns have been raised in Britain about accepting U.S. agricultural standards, notably chlorine-washed chicken, and about opening up its state-funded healthcare system to U.S. companies as the price of a trade deal.

 

"American products would come over, and be allowed to come over," Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. "You give the British people a choice, if they like it they can buy it, if they don't want it, they do not have to buy it."

 

FARAGE

Trump said it was a mistake for the Conservatives not to involve Farage, the Brexit Party leader, in negotiations with Brussels after his success in European Parliament elections.

 

"I like Nigel a lot. He has a lot to offer - he is a very smart person," Trump said. "They won't bring him in but think how well they would do if they did. They just haven't figured that out yet."

 

Farage, who led the unofficial campaign to leave the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum, wants to leave the bloc without any agreement.

 

His new Brexit party swept to victory in the United Kingdom's European parliament election last month, prompting him to demand a seat at Brexit negotiations.

 

However, none of the candidates seeking to replace May are expected to offer an olive branch to a longstanding rival who has the potential to split the right-wing vote in Britain.

 

Trump also said he would have "to know" Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn before authorising U.S. intelligence to share its most sensitive secrets with a hard-left government.

 

He said Britain must be careful not to jeopardise intelligence-sharing by letting Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd into its 5G mobile phone network.

 

(Reporting by Stephen Addison and Paul Sandle; Editing by Chris Reese and Alexander Smith)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-03

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[damascase]

I can only hope that the UK won’t listen to this idiot.

And good luck to the negotiators for a US - UK trade deal. It will have ‘America First’ written all over it.

Edited June 3, 2019 by damascase

[petermik]

7 hours ago, damascase said:

I can only hope that the UK won’t listen to this idiot.

 I happen to agree with him......

[damascase]

This morning in the Dutch De Volkskrant:

[Basil B]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain should refuse to pay a $50 billion (39.5 billion pounds) European Union divorce bill and "walk away" from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give ground.

£39.5 billion is peanuts to the EU, do you really think they care? he is just preaching to the narrow minded Sun readers.

[dick dasterdly]

55 minutes ago, petermik said:

 I happen to agree with him......

I too agree with him - but he shouldn't be involving himself in uk politics.

 

Quite apart from anything else, the Brit. electorate tend to get annoyed when foreign powers try to influence them by supporting one side or the other!

 

e.g. Obama intervening pre-referendum ("back of the queue" etc.) only annoyed a large portion of the electorate.

[dick dasterdly]

2 minutes ago, Basil B said:

£39.5 billion is peanuts to the EU, do you really think they care? he is just preaching to the narrow minded Sun readers.

I'm pretty sure that very few agree with your belief that the eu doesn't care about receiving 39bn sterling, or that it is peanuts to the eu......

 

Edit - Your "Sun readers" comment is below contempt.

Edited June 3, 2019 by dick dasterdly

[Basil B]

2 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

I'm pretty sure that very few agree with your belief that the eu doesn't care about receiving 39bn sterling, or that it is peanuts to the eu......

I said the EU, not those who believe the Sun shines Rupert Murdoch's arse... 

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

£39.5 billion is peanuts to the EU, do you really think they care? he is just preaching to the narrow minded Sun readers.

In which case why are they trying so hard to prevent UK leaving?

 

Back on topic; I wonder if this retweet request will succeed?

 

Edited June 3, 2019 by evadgib

[Boon Mee]

2 hours ago, petermik said:

 I happen to agree with him......

As usual, Trump's advice is what the Brits should do. 

[legend49]

2 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

As usual, Trump's advice is what the Brits should do. 

Time he got his nose out of other countries lives. Go home and build a wall around USA.

[terryw]

Trump is stating the obvious action the UK needs to take. He has as much right to say what he thinks as those in British politics and the media who everyday comment on the USA.

 

39 billion is a lot of money for the Germans to find, especially with their economy struggling to achieve some growth.

[nauseus]

4 minutes ago, terryw said:

Trump is stating the obvious action the UK needs to take. He has as much right to say what he thinks as those in British politics and the media who everyday comment on the USA.

 

39 billion is a lot of money for the Germans to find, especially with their economy struggling to achieve some growth.

They can find it. But it would not be popular with many Germans.

[meinphuket]

As one of the post WWII European generation, we were taught to be respectful of the US, our ally. Trump is hell bent on destroying all that goodwill, and as far as I am concerned he already has, so to he** with him, and impeach this lying megalomaniac !

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

 I happen to agree with him......

Uncle Sam's puddel, tow the line or else, this erratic narcist betrays his friends on a whim. You can't blame arab states wanting the bomb, force, it's all he understands which is why he is crawling to smart man Kim.

[pegman]

Sure, take the advice of a 4x bankrupt. What could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah, he will agree to a trade deal. Then hit you with tariffs a week later.

[candide]

And of course, UK can rely on him to grant a very favourable trade deal....

[soalbundy]

35 minutes ago, legend49 said:

Time he got his nose out of other countries lives. Go home and build a wall around USA.

He has just told Israel to get its act together, where would the world be without this meddling genius

[mommysboy]

I would prefer Brexit not to go ahead but accept that it must.  I agree with him- get what we want or walk away.  Yes, I know it will be tough.

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

He has just told Israel to get its act together, where would the world be without this meddling genius

Any chance of a list of US presidents from the last fifty years who could not be defined as "meddling"? Start with Reagan "Tear down this Wall". Move on to Poppy's Gulf War. The accusation of "meddling" can be made against every recent president

[tomacht8]

The interest of the trump administration is solely to weaken Europe. Anyone who thinks Trump is a friend of Europe or the UK, is naive.

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

The interest of the trump administration is solely to weaken Europe. Anyone who thinks Trump is a friend of Europe or the UK, is naive.

I draw your attention to the great 19th century British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston who is recorded as saying "We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow. ...". Trump is merely following the example of Britain and the advice of every sane government

Edited June 3, 2019 by ThaiBunny

[Loiner]

Sound independent advice  there thanks Donald. But we are not sure how many of the wets in Parliament will heed the wise counsel of and old and trusted friend. Many of them would rather willingly obey the instructions of 27 other vested interest parties, who actually do meddle in the UK's affairs by actively prolonging our EU mess.

[nauseus]

Well he's just landed safely, I'm sure the anti Trumpets will be sad to hear. 

[fvw53]

30 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Sound independent advice  there thanks Donald. But we are not sure how many of the wets in Parliament will heed the wise counsel of and old and trusted friend. Many of them would rather willingly obey the instructions of 27 other vested interest parties, who actually do meddle in the UK's affairs by actively prolonging our EU mess.

you seem to forget that the UK instructed the Brexit divorce and now cannot conclude a 2 year negotiated agreement because of internal mess ....but of course if you are a Trump fan how can your memory be sharp?

[nauseus]

5 minutes ago, fvw53 said:

you seem to forget that the UK instructed the Brexit divorce and now cannot conclude a 2 year negotiated agreement because of internal mess ....but of course if you are a Trump fan how can your memory be sharp?

You seem to forget that there was no meaningful agreement to conclude, courtesy of a puppet PM and remainer Civil Service. 

[Loiner]

34 minutes ago, fvw53 said:

you seem to forget that the UK instructed the Brexit divorce and now cannot conclude a 2 year negotiated agreement because of internal mess ....but of course if you are a Trump fan how can your memory be sharp?

Two years expired two months ago, except for the internal subterfuge and external 'extensions'. No further negotiation or agreement is necessary, we go straight to post-Brexit trade terms. 

[puipuitom]

4 hours ago, Basil B said:

£39.5 billion is peanuts to the EU, do you really think they care? he is just preaching to the narrow minded Sun readers.

Why nobody reads anything about the fundation of this "divorse bill"? It is nothing more as all the UK committed itsself to when still member, inclusive a lot of money going back to projects in the UK, payments of salaries and pensions ( Nigel ! = the money YOU want ), and of course work done for ALL members like Eur Medicine Agency, EFSA, RASFF, all things the UK will stand alone for after a Brexit.

Second: the total YEAR budget of the EU =  €165.8 billion You think, they need that UK contribution ?

Edited June 3, 2019 by puipuitom

[puipuitom]

2 hours ago, terryw said:

Trump is stating the obvious action the UK needs to take. He has as much right to say what he thinks as those in British politics and the media who everyday comment on the USA.

 

39 billion is a lot of money for the Germans to find, especially with their economy struggling to achieve some growth.

GDP Growth Rate in Germany averaged 0.51 percent from 1970 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 4 percent in the second quarter of 1970 and a record low of -4.50 percent in the first quarter of 2009. So, a 0,4% growth over 2019 is not a disaster. see  https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/gdp-growth  and  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/germany-2019-economic-growth-forecast-cut-in-half-to-0-5-percent

Compare their GSDP per capita with the UK, and.. you will cry  https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/gdp-per-capita  

[Pique Dard]

it isn't a secret, trump has never been fond of the eu. the question is, does he really like the uk? i have my doubts. he knows brexit will weaken the eu but i doubt he cares whether or not the uk will also be affected negatively