Here is the ‘substantial’ material agreed during Starmer’s trip to China:
- Visa free travel for UK citizens. Value: £0. Also brings UK in line with more than 50 other countries including France, Germany etc.
- Scotch whisky tariff reduction. Value: £250 million over five years.
- Feasibility study for a possible trade in services agreement. Value: £0
- Co-operation on organised crime. Value: £0
- Strengthening the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission. Value: £0. It’s one of those fake padding announcements…
- Agreements to co-operate on standards. Value: £0. Just promises so far…
- Easing rules for exports to China. Value: N.A.
So the whisky deal was the only costed announcement. Basically Starmer will return from China holding the world’s smallest goldfish in a Safeways bag…
The India trade deal by the government’s estimation will boost trade by £25.5 billion per year. So Starmer’s trip has managed to secure 0.2% of the stated value of that deal this time round…
There could be more last-minute announcements to come – were there anything really big Downing Street would have partially briefed it already in a panic because hacks are dumping on Starmer’s give-everything-and-get-nothing trip. Even Reeves managed to get a pitiful £600 million when she travelled to China in January last year. Maybe the Chancellor should have been put on the trip after all…
In return the Chinese got a palatial spy hub. What else did Starmer give away…
