Liam Fox has confirmed he has begun talks with his US counterpart to lay down the basis for a new trade agreement to come into effect after Brexit. Dr Fox confirmed negotiations cannot officially start until the UK has left the European Union due to EU Law policies but warned the US Congress may still refuse to ratify a new deal. Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme on Monday, the International Trade Secretary said: “When I was having discussions with the US Trade Representative last week we were talking about how we could use the opportunity to create a deeper gold-standard trade agreement between the United States and the UK, two of the world’s biggest economies.

“But, that will take time and you’ve got the added complication that we are now getting very close to the American pre-election year, when it’s quite hard to get things through Congress.

“Even if you negotiate them quickly, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to ratify them.”

Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat Speaker of the House of Representatives, also warned Congress would not pass a future commercial deal between the US and the UK if the peace process in Northern Ireland were to be jeopardised by Brexit. 

Ms Pelosi insisted there would be “no chance of a US-UK agreement” if Brexit caused an erosion of the Good Friday Agreement which her party helped negotiate under the Clinton Administration. The Democratic Party currently holds a majority in the House of Representatives but the Republican Party maintained control of the Senate in the 2018 Elections. 

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Even if you negotiate them quickly, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to ratify them

Liam Fox

Dr Fox also dismissed claims from Tory leadership hopeful Boris Johnson suggesting he would move to get a deal with the US as his first action if elected Prime Minister later this month.

The Tory frontbencher said: “We can’t negotiate anything with the US until after we’ve left the European Union.

“It would be in breach of European Law for us to do that. We would be in breach of common commercial policies if we were to have discussions ahead of leaving the European Union but we’ve done a great deal of preparatory work.”

According to reports in The Times, Mr Johnson is planning to travel to the US within weeks if confirmed as the new Prime Minister to salvage the relationship with Donald Trump after scathing comments from British Ambassador Kim Darroch were revealed. 

Speaking to the newspaper, an ally of Mr Johnson said: “The key to the whole thing is the US.

“If we get a trade deal with America we will be very quickly in the market for other deals.

“It encourages others to realise that we mean business.”

Moreover, further supporters of the former foreign secretary have stated that he could fly to the US within two weeks of taking office in order to thrash out a deal.

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In a memo leaked to the press earlier this month, Sir Kim reported unsavoury comments of the conduct of President Trump and his team. 

Following the revelation, which included the Trump Administration being branded “inept”, the British Ambassador resigned from his post. 

Despite the report, a spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “No plans have been made for anything other than winning this campaign and the immediate transition. That is where the focus is.”

In order to stop a no deal Brexit, businesswoman Gina Miller has accused Mr Johnson of being ready to “abandon parliamentary sovereignty” and reduce the UK to a “dictatorship” as she gets ready to launch a legal action to prevent him from proroguing Parliament.

Ms Miller also announced that she has reassembled her legal team to “defend Parliament’s sovereignty”.

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