Britain will be first in line for trade deal, says influential congressman

The West Midlands UKIP MEP became the first British politician to meet with Donald Trump's new UK-US trade guru George Holding during a recent fact-finding mission to Washington DC.

And he says that Britain has 'strong backing' form Republicans, who see Brexit as a 'huge opportunity' to ramp up the special relationship between the two countries.

North Carolina congressman Mr Holding sits on the US trade subcommittee and is the point man for trade negotiations between Britain and the Trump administration.

He told Mr Etheridge that the UK will be at the front of the queue for a trade deal once Brexit negotiations have been completed by March 2019.

Mr Holding is one of a number of high profile congressmen to meet with Mr Etheridge during the week-long trip, with others including Virginia congressman Dave Brat and Oklahoma congressman Tom Cole.

Mr Etheridge said: "George Holding made it very clear that he believes Britain will be better off outside the European Union.

"In his eyes there is great potential for a trade deal between Britain and the US that benefits both countries. We are at the front of the queue.

"It was an extremely positive meeting. He is an Anglophile who sees us as America's natural ally. All the [British] Government has got to do is get over there and talk to this guy."

Mr Etheridge says he finds it alarming that UK officials have yet to 'home in' on the US in order to send a message to the EU that Britain is already 'moving on' into new trade territories.

"This is early days and nothing can be rubber stamped, but we should have already started initial discussions with the US," he said.

"Over there we have an audience that is willing to listen and wants to work with us.

"If the EU wants to try and squeeze us we would be able to show we were on the verge of achieving something in short order that Brussels couldn't do in years.

"The Americans appreciate what a massively important country the UK is. Some of the congressmen we met spoke of us as a reborn country after Brexit."

Dudley councillor Paul Brothwood, who also attended the meetings, said: "The general view in American is that Brexit provides a huge opportunity to develop the special relationship that exists between the two countries."