Britain tells the EU: 'We shall not sell out our #Fishermen'

Britain will not sell out its fishermen as part of a trade deal with the European Union, nor will it lower its food standards for a trade agreement with the United States, British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said on Monday (2 March), writes Guy Faulconbridge.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that he will not let down French fishermen in post-Brexit trade negotiations and that France will seek compensation if it does not get the same access to British waters as before.

“We are not going to trade away our fishing in a deal with the EU or any other negotiating partner for that matter,” Truss said. “We are going to get a deal with the EU that does not involve selling out our fishing.”

She also said Britain was prepared to step away from talks with the United States if the British were unable to get an agreement they wanted but added there were huge potential benefits from a deal.

“In a trade deal with the US, we will not diminish our food safety standards and we will also not put the NHS (National Health Service) on the table,” Truss said. “If we don’t get the deal we want we will be prepared to walk away.”