UK should begin to free itself from the US: British peers

Rasa - Britain’s upper house of parliament has recommended the government to emancipate itself from the United States’ influence, saying a White House under President Donald Trump is posing serious threats to UK interests in the world.

News ID: 442508

Date: 19 December 2018 - 17:15

A committee of peers said Tuesday in a report that it was time for London to understand that Trump was actually trying to undermine Britain’s foreign policy and its efforts to remain as an influential player at the world stage.

“In future, the government will need to place less reliance on reaching a common US-UK approach to the main issues of the day than has often been the case in the past,” said the report which has been compiled using advice from key people in diplomacy, national security and foreign policy.

The report specifically mentioned Trump’s decision to withdraw from major international agreements, such as Iran’s nuclear deal, saying the way Trump was handling foreign policy was undermining Britain’s efforts to tackle the most critical challenges facing the world.

“The UK has struggled to influence the administration, which is, in part, a reflection of a broader shift in the US towards a more inward-looking ‘America first’ stance, with less focus on the transatlantic alliance or multilateralism,” said the peers.

Trump has sparked controversy in his nearly two years in office by pulling out of deals and adopting a protectionist policy in how trade should be carried out with major major partners like China and the European Union.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. (AFP photo)

According to Press TV, he US president has even criticized Britain for its way of handling Brexit, saying the country should adopt a more aggressive stance toward the EU once it leave the bloc in March so that Washington and London could clinch on a comprehensive trade deal after Brexit. The UK government has rejected the criticism, saying work on the UK-US trade pact is ongoing regardless of Brexit.

However, the Lords committee said the continued presence of Trump in the White House would permanently affect the trans-Atlantic alliance between London and Washington.

“Should President Trump win a second term or a similar administration succeed him, the damage to UK–US relations will be longer lasting,” said the Lords.

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