Joe Biden has shelved plans for a pact with Britain that could have paved the way for a full post-Brexit trade deal.

The US president has decided not to move forward with a “foundational” agreement prepared by the US Trade Representative’s Office, that would have included negotiations over 11 areas of trade and regulation, following opposition from his own party in the Senate.

Senate Democrats argued that it would not have provided sufficient protection for American workers, Politico reported.

The UK’s hopes for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US date from before the Brexit referendum, and faced an early setback when Barack Obama told voters that Britain would be “at the back of the queue” for a deal if it left the EU.

But despite US support for an FTA in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2016, the chance of a deal has now fallen to “zero” under Mr Biden, the Government believes.

  • KevonLooney
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    11 months ago

    It was a non-binding vote that barely passed. It should never have been acted on. What other foreign treaties have been presented to the general public for a vote? People literally have never voted on something like this before. That’s why we elect representatives.

    If big issues are just going to be presented directly to voters, wtf are the representatives there for?

    • Flax@feddit.uk
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      11 months ago

      I agree.

      Tbf we voted our way into the EU. but a generation had passed and nobody had any clue what the EU was.

      Corbyn should have just campaigned on and pulled a second refurrendum, which would have almost certainly returned “remain”, also perhaps teaming up with the lib Dems. Instead he sat on the fence on the main issue.

    • HeartyBeast@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      There would have been some amusing riots, a vote of no confidence in the government and probably a UKIP lead government in that case.

      And yes, I was a Remainer who marched fir a second vote