Lib Dems: Govt grovelling over food standards to try and secure US trade deal

Responding to the reports from a leaked document stating that the Department for International Trade will try to lower the UK's food standards to secure a trade deal with the United States, Liberal Democrat shadow Foreign Secretary Chuka Umunna said:

"The promises made by Boris Johnson and the Conservative Government that the UK would have a whole host of trade deals in place by Brexit day have now long been seen to be nonsense, however this desperation by Liz Truss represents a new low.

"This leak shows how Government ministers are willing to abandon safety standards on the food we feed our families in a hopeless attempt to try and replace the trade we will lose as members of the European Union.

"The Tories' vision of Global Britain is in tatters. Our position on the world stage is no longer being a leader in minimum standards to protect people's welfare, but instead we are witnessing our Government try to roll these back or abandon them entirely.

"This grovelling to Donald Trump to get a trade deal must stop. The route out of this mess is to stop Brexit and the Liberal Democrats will continue to lead this fight."