METRO
hen over two-thirds of the UK public feel ‘ignored’ about the impact of post-Brexit trade deals struck by the government.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has been tasked with establishing bespoke deals with allies around the world after the UK regained the power to negotiate its own trade terms by leaving the European Union last year. .
But while a number of refinancing deals have been secured with countries, reflecting the terms that had been initially set when a member of the European bloc, and new deals have been signed with Japan and Australia, a survey found that the British feel that the government has not been open about what the bilateral treaties imply.
A survey of more than 3,000 UK adults found that 67% felt the public received very little information from ministers about trade deals, and only 7% reported that they knew the UK had an agreement with Japan.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is in charge of securing new TRDE deals for the UK (PA Archive) / PA Archive
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A quarter of consumers who participated in the survey conducted on behalf of the consumer choice group Which? They said they felt the government was “not at all open” about the impact the new trade deals will have.
These numbers were highest in Northern Ireland, where discontent among unionists over the Northern Ireland Protocol, which effectively keeps a part of the UK in the EU’s single market for goods to avoid a hard border, has gone on the rise since it came into force.
The majority of Northern Ireland respondents said that the Boris Johnson administration had not been forthcoming about what the trade deals meant for their nation.
There were also transferred fears elsewhere, with a third of consumers in Wales and 41% in Scotland reporting that they were ‘not at all sure’ that the trade deals agreed by Westminster ministers would reflect the specific needs of their parties. of the Union.
Meanwhile, there was a strong feeling that UK standards should be kept in post-Brexit disputes.
The success of future deals will be judged by what they provide to ordinary people in their everyday lives, not just by the export opportunities they provide.
Critics have raised concerns that the free trade agreement agreed with Australia in June will see British farmers undermined by food sourced from Australia that does not meet the same high standards in the UK.
Of those surveyed, nearly nine in 10 were of the opinion that all imported food should conform to current UK national food standards.
Four in five consumers agreed that the UK government’s trade policy should not support signing agreements that remove existing environmental protections, while 63% thought it was very important not to reduce digital and data protections in the agreements.
Sue Davies, director of consumer rights and food policy at Which ?, said there should be a “consumer chapter” included in every future individual agreement to inform people about the benefits and changes negotiated.
“The success of future deals will be judged by what they bring to ordinary people in their everyday lives, not just by the export opportunities they provide,” he said.
“Our research shows that consumers feel they don’t know what trade agreements will mean to them.
“The government should seize this opportunity to communicate transparently and openly with the public about trade negotiations and push for a consumer chapter to be included in future agreements that reflects the issues that are most important to consumers.”
Which? He said a consumer chapter should cover key consumer priorities such as maintaining protections for food, data, the environment and online shopping, and that more than 80% of respondents supported the idea.
Our environmental and climate change policies are some of the most ambitious in the world, and we will not enter into trade agreements that compromise our high standards of environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety.
Yonder, on behalf of Which ?, surveyed 3,263 UK adults online between June 23-24.
Labor shadow secretary for international trade, Emily Thornberry, said: “This poll should be a wake-up call for Liz Truss. The British people don’t want her to undermine our food standards, sell out our farming communities and negotiate trade deals on our behalf without telling us what they mean. “
A spokesperson for the Department for International Trade said: “Free trade will grow our economy in all parts of the UK and create jobs, better living standards and higher wages.
“As an independent trading nation, we are reaching ambitious agreements that will not only support our key industries, but also benefit consumers who will be able to enjoy more choice and better value thanks to the tariffs we are cutting.
“Our environmental and climate change policies are some of the most ambitious in the world, and we will not sign trade agreements that compromise our high standards of environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety.”
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