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Leave campaign struggles to respond after Obama trade warning Leave campaign struggles to respond after Obama trade warning
(35 minutes later)
Barack Obama has warned Britain’s voters that it could take up to a decade to strike a trade deal with the United States from outside the European Union, as the leave campaign struggled to respond.Barack Obama has warned Britain’s voters that it could take up to a decade to strike a trade deal with the United States from outside the European Union, as the leave campaign struggled to respond.
At the end of a three-day visit during which he celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a lunch at Windsor Castle, Obama said it was wrong for Brexit campaigners to suggest it would be straightforward to agree a new trade relationship if Britain left the EU.At the end of a three-day visit during which he celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a lunch at Windsor Castle, Obama said it was wrong for Brexit campaigners to suggest it would be straightforward to agree a new trade relationship if Britain left the EU.
“It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we’re actually able to get something done,” he told the BBC, adding that the first priority for the US would be to complete ongoing talks on a trade deal with the EU.“It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we’re actually able to get something done,” he told the BBC, adding that the first priority for the US would be to complete ongoing talks on a trade deal with the EU.
Obama also defended his right to express an opinion, saying: “I don’t anticipate that anything I’ve said will change the position of those who are leading the campaigns in one direction or the other, but for ordinary voters I thought it would be relevant to hear what the president of the United States, who loves the British people and cares deeply about this relationship, has to say.” Obama defended his right to express an opinion, saying: “I don’t anticipate that anything I’ve said will change the position of those who are leading the campaigns in one direction or the other, but for ordinary voters I thought it would be relevant to hear what the president of the United States, who loves the British people and cares deeply about this relationship, has to say.”
As the president boarded Air Force One to fly to Hanover, in Germany, for a summit with other European powers on Monday, the leave campaign appeared to have been thrown into some disarray. As the president boarded Air Force One to fly to Germany for a summit with other European powers in Hanover on Monday, the leave campaign appeared to have been thrown into some disarray.
Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, told Sky News that Vote Leave, the official Brexit campaign, was at risk of losing the argument by relying too heavily on cabinet ministers wielding statistics, instead of allowing alternative voices to be heard.Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, told Sky News that Vote Leave, the official Brexit campaign, was at risk of losing the argument by relying too heavily on cabinet ministers wielding statistics, instead of allowing alternative voices to be heard.
“It appears that the leave campaign is just the Conservative cabinet ministers,” he said. “I think to win this referendum you’ve got to see trade union voices, you’ve got to see Labour voices, you’ve got to see Ukip voices – we’ve got to be appealing to a broader group of people than just the Tory electorate,” he said. “It appears that the leave campaign is just the Conservative cabinet ministers,” he said. “I think to win this referendum you’ve got to see trade union voices, you’ve got to see Labour voices, you’ve got to see Ukip voices – we’ve got to be appealing to a broader group of people than just the Tory electorate.”
Farage said leave campaigners should focus more on the issue of immigration, instead of the economics of the EU. “If we debate economics and trade we can go round in circles for weeks and the public will be none the wiser,” he said. Farage said leave campaigners should focus more on the issue of immigration, instead of the economics of the EU. “If we debate economics and trade, we can go round in circles for weeks and the public will be none the wiser,” he said.
It appeared that peace had broken out on the leave side last week when Farage, whose Grassroots Out campaign failed in its bid to be declared the official leave campaign, shared a platform with the pro-Brexit minister Chris Grayling.It appeared that peace had broken out on the leave side last week when Farage, whose Grassroots Out campaign failed in its bid to be declared the official leave campaign, shared a platform with the pro-Brexit minister Chris Grayling.
But after a shaky week in which saw Vote Leave’s campaign director Dominic Cummings endured a tough grilling from MPs and Boris Johnson was slapped down by Obama after claiming he nurtured an “ancestral dislike of the British empire” because he was “part-Kenyan”, Farage said it was time for a fresh start. But Farage said it was time for a fresh start after a shaky week in which Vote Leave’s campaign director Dominic Cummings endured a tough grilling from MPs and Boris Johnson was slapped down by Obama after claiming he nurtured an “ancestral dislike of the British empire” because he was “part-Kenyan”.
The backlash against Johnson’s comments continued as students at Kings College London withdrew a speaking invitation to the outgoing mayor of London, citing his “inappropriate comments and inferences towards President Obama’s Kenyan heritage, of which he is rightly proud.”The backlash against Johnson’s comments continued as students at Kings College London withdrew a speaking invitation to the outgoing mayor of London, citing his “inappropriate comments and inferences towards President Obama’s Kenyan heritage, of which he is rightly proud.”
Separately, it emerged that Gisela Stuart, the co-chair of Vote Leave, had written to the home secretary, Theresa May, urging her to exclude the rightwing French politician Marine Le Pen, who plans to come to Britain to make the case for Brexit. Meanwhile, it emerged that Gisela Stuart, the co-chair of Vote Leave, had written to the home secretary, Theresa May, urging her to exclude the rightwing French politician Marine Le Pen, who plans to come to Britain to make the case for Brexit.
Amid fears that the arrival of the leader of the Front National to bat for Brexit would damn Vote Leave by association, Stuart said Le Pen had made “many divisive and inflammatory comments, including comparing Muslims praying in the street to the Nazi occupation of France”. Dominic Raab, the pro-leave junior minister, also said he hoped Le Pen would stay away.Amid fears that the arrival of the leader of the Front National to bat for Brexit would damn Vote Leave by association, Stuart said Le Pen had made “many divisive and inflammatory comments, including comparing Muslims praying in the street to the Nazi occupation of France”. Dominic Raab, the pro-leave junior minister, also said he hoped Le Pen would stay away.
The home secretary sought to neutralise the issue of immigration, insisting that it would still be difficult to control whether Britain remained a member of the EU or opted to leave. “Yes, free movement makes it harder to control immigration but it doesn’t make it impossible to control immigration,” she told the BBC.The home secretary sought to neutralise the issue of immigration, insisting that it would still be difficult to control whether Britain remained a member of the EU or opted to leave. “Yes, free movement makes it harder to control immigration but it doesn’t make it impossible to control immigration,” she told the BBC.
She said controlling immigration whether from inside or outside the EU was hard. “We have constantly to be working at it, which is exactly what we’re doing, so you can’t just change one feature and assume that is going to have an impact.”She said controlling immigration whether from inside or outside the EU was hard. “We have constantly to be working at it, which is exactly what we’re doing, so you can’t just change one feature and assume that is going to have an impact.”
Raab, a justice minister, was forced to concede that if Britain left the EU, holidaymakers travelling to other EU countries might have to apply for visas.Raab, a justice minister, was forced to concede that if Britain left the EU, holidaymakers travelling to other EU countries might have to apply for visas.
“I think we’d have to look at that as part of the negotiations in detail. But I think, look, at the moment President Obama’s administration … is looking at new visa requirements and screening from Germany, Belgium, Greece, France, because of the recent terrorist attacks. I think we should at least have the power and the control to do that and make sure we keep Britain safe.”“I think we’d have to look at that as part of the negotiations in detail. But I think, look, at the moment President Obama’s administration … is looking at new visa requirements and screening from Germany, Belgium, Greece, France, because of the recent terrorist attacks. I think we should at least have the power and the control to do that and make sure we keep Britain safe.”
Asked whether this could mean British citizens would need visas to go to France or Germany, Raab said: “Or some other kind of check.”Asked whether this could mean British citizens would need visas to go to France or Germany, Raab said: “Or some other kind of check.”