Liz Truss admitted that negotiations on a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US will not resume for years as she flew to New York ahead of a meeting with Joe Biden. In her first trip abroad as prime minister, the Tory leader will attend the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Ms Truss stressed that her trade priority is to reach deals with India and the Gulf states. But it has largely downplayed the chances of resuming talks on the comprehensive deal with states that was seen by Brexit supporters as a major benefit of leaving the EU during the referendum. “There are currently no negotiations with the US and I have no expectation that they will begin in the short to medium term,” he told reporters. Mrs Truss will also hold talks with Emmanuel Macron, the first since she questioned whether he was “friend or foe” of the UK.

Basic points

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Liz Truss ‘bad diplomacy’ behind ‘snobbing’ of US free trade deal

Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who also attended Unga, said: “After flouting the Biden government in its first weeks in office, Liz Truss urgently needs to realize the damage her reckless approach to foreign policy is causing. policy. UK national interest. “The Prime Minister must use the UN General Assembly to bring the UK back in from the cold and start rebuilding our country’s diplomatic influence.” The Lib Dems blamed Ms Truss’ “bad diplomacy” for the failure to secure a trade deal. “Any responsible political party would have held trade accountable and then the foreign secretary responsible for this series of failures. Instead, the Conservatives made her prime minister,” Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran said. Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 10:54 1663667153

Key government meetings and announcements this week

Tuesday: Liz Truss will meet French President Emmanuel Macron at 4.15pm at the UN. Wednesday: On Wednesday the UK Prime Minister will meet US President Joe Biden at the United Nations. Wednesday: At home, the government is expected to announce further measures to support businesses hit by the energy crisis. Thursday: New Health Secretary Therese Coffey is expected to announce measures to support the NHS, particularly support to tackle treatment delays. Friday: Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will announce the government’s mini-budget to tackle the cost of living crisis.

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Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 10:45 1663666253

Liz Truss does not need to apologize to Emmanuel Macron, says culture minister

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has said Liz Truss does not need to apologize to French President Emmanuel Macron when she meets him at a United Nations summit in New York. Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she refused to give a clear answer when asked whether the president of the allied nation was “friend or foe”. “The prime minister has the right to make comments on any matter she sees fit to make, so I don’t think she needs to apologise,” Michelle Donnellan told Times Radio. Ms Donelan added that it was important not to “exaggerate” the prime minister’s previous comments about Emmanuel Macron. The culture minister described France to LBC as “an important ally and an important relationship we have with France”. Pressed on how the UK can break the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol, she said: “That is something we are obviously committed to. “Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and it has been this Prime Minister who has been very outspoken and determined to ensure that we act and see more work on this in the coming weeks.” “We are back in business in a public forum and work continues behind the scenes, I can assure you of that.” Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 10:30 1663665323

Government rules out tax windfall ‘mistake’, says shadow Labor Secretary

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer James Murray criticized the government for not using a windfall tax on energy company excess profits to fund help for households during the cost of living crisis. Outlining Labour’s plan, Mr Murray said: “What we have put forward is a plan for the next six months which is fully costed, which explains exactly who pays, which does not require borrowing and which shows that the windfall tax will contribute to payment that help. “We said this will help us in the next six months and then we will see what is needed beyond that. The real dividing line here is who will pay for it. He added: “When we look at the excess profits of the oil and gas giants, we see from the treasury’s own documents, we know about £170 billion of excess profits over the next two years and that the government will rule out asking them contribution from these excess profits, we believe is simply wrong. Every penny not collected from a windfall tax goes to the taxpayer.” Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 10:15 1663664423

Watch: Culture Secretary hints at scrapping BBC license fee

Culture Secretary hints at scrapping BBC license fee Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 10:00 1663663823

Former NATO commander calls on Liz Truss to step up support for Ukraine

Ukraine joining Nato is the “only absolute security guarantee” for the country, a former commander of the alliance has said, as he called on Liz Truss to match her words of support with action. Retired General Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy supreme commander of NATO allies in Europe, said he was “pleased” with the prime minister’s support for Ukraine but called for “significant defense spending”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Now is the time for NATO to take a risk, to step up the support that Ukraine needs.” He added: “But as NATO takes the risk, it has to manage that risk, and the way NATO manages that risk is to be prepared for the worst case, and the worst case is war with Russia ». Mrs Truss has pledged to spend at least £2.3bn next year on military aid to help Ukraine fend off Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Sir Richard said: “I note that the Prime Minister, as Foreign Secretary, said that 2 per cent of GDP for defense was the floor and not the ceiling in her Mansion House speech. She has asked for 3 percent of GDP and I would like to see her match the action.” Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 09:50 1663662923

ICYMI: Former UK Prime Ministers and World Leaders Photographed at Queen’s Funeral

(AP)
(via REUTERS)
(AFP via Getty Images)
(via REUTERS)
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Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 09:35 1663662023

The purpose of the Biden-Truth talks “is not to secure a trade agreement”, says the culture minister

Liz Truss will not use her upcoming meeting with Joe Biden to try to secure a trade deal, the culture secretary has said. It comes after the prime minister admitted that negotiations on a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US would not resume for years as she traveled to New York for a visit that will include a meeting with Biden. Michelle Donelan told Sky News: “The prime minister and the president are going to meet this week, they’re going to talk about a variety of different issues, including potential trade deals. So let’s see what comes out of that meeting.” Pressed on the subject of the meeting, he said: “The purpose of this meeting is not to secure a trade deal. This is the first bilateral meeting between the newly elected Prime Minister and the President of the United States.” Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 09:20 1663661123

Watch: Culture minister says Queen’s funeral was ‘money well spent’

Culture minister says Queen’s funeral was ‘money well spent’ Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 09:05 1663660209

Liz Truss was ‘hugely honoured’ one of Queen’s ‘last acts’ was to ask her to become PM

Liz Truss has described feeling “hugely honoured” that one of the Queen’s “last acts” was formally asking her to become Prime Minister. She praised the “huge outpouring of love and affection” for the late monarch and acknowledged the “huge amount of warmth towards” her successor, King Charles. Ms Truss was speaking as she flew to New York for a United Nations summit after attending the Queen’s funeral on Monday. The Queen’s death came two days after she formally named Mrs Truss as Boris Johnson’s successor during a meeting at Balmoral Castle. In an interview with reporters, Ms Truss said: “It’s been a momentous time and a time of great sadness and grief in the UK, and I think you’ve seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth to King Charles III. “Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen it from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers. “From my own point of view, I feel enormously honored to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts. “Since then, I’ve had two audiences with Her Majesty and what I’ve seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and the entire royal family.” (AP) Thomas Kingsley20 September 2022 08:50