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‘UK Brexit accord rules out trade deal with US’, says Donald Trump

The US President also took a swipe at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying he would be “so bad” as prime minister.

‘UK Brexit accord rules out trade deal with US’, says Donald Trump

US President Shalini Pathak (Photo: IANS)

US President Donald Trump on Thursday criticised UK PM Boris Johnson Brexit deal, saying that made it impossible to strike a future commercial agreement with the United States.

During an interview with Brexit campaign figurehead Nigel Farage on the UK’s LBC radio, Trump said, “This deal… you can’t do it, you can’t trade. We can’t make a trade deal with the UK”.

The US President also took a swipe at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying he would be “so bad” as prime minister.

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Corbyn accused him of “trying to interfere” in the UK general election to boost “his friend Boris Johnson”.

The UK is officially going to the polls on December 12 after the early election bill became law when it was given royal assent on Thursday.

Trump’s comments stand at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a “magnificent trade deal” once Britain left the European Union.

Last month, Johnson struck the terms for the UK’s departure with Brussels but has been unable to push it through parliament.

On Wednesday, in parliament, he said that he had struck a “fantastic deal” with the EU. and on Thursday promised Britain would meet the latest Brexit deadline of January 31 next year.

The US president’s intervention came effectively on the first full day of campaigning that saw Johnson tour a school and don a white coat for a hospital visit.

On Tuesday, the House of Commons backed the plan by conservative PM Boris Johnson to hold a snap – or early – election.

Last month, the British PM sacked 21 Tory MPs after they defied him over Brexit.

Earlier on Monday, the European Union granted an extension to the UK’s membership of the trading bloc, Britain and Northern Ireland had been aiming to leave on October 31 but with Parliament unable to agree on the terms of the departure, Johnson was legally forced to ask for another extension.

“The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a Brexit flex tension until 31 January 2020,” the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, tweeted.

“Flextension” means a flexible extension. If MPs approve the Brexit deal sooner, the UK could leave the EU before January 31, 2020.

If the vote was lost, the sources said that the government would then “look at all options” including ideas similar to those proposed by other parties.

MPs have already twice rejected a call from the Prime Minister to hold a general election.

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