Three Trade Deals in Three Weeks

It has been a quite a month for the United Kingdom when it comes to trade agreements with other countries. First were the deals the Government reached with India and the USA which will open up new opportunities for our exporters. In the case of India, their tariffs on Scotch whisky and British-made electric cars will be slashed and farmers will be able to sell British lamb to the large Indian market. In the case of the USA, farmers now have the chance to sell British beef, we upheld our food standards – as we promised to do – and a lot of jobs at Jaguar Land Rover, which otherwise would have been facing substantial tariffs on its cars being sold to the United States of America, were saved.

This was then followed by the UK Agreement with the European Union which will make food, agriculture and plant trade with the EU cheaper and easier. It will do this by slashing red tape and bureaucracy, which will reduce costs. We will also be able to sell British burgers, shellfish and other products back into the EU.

A new Defence and Security Partnership will strengthen our security in a dangerous new era and create jobs and opportunities for our defence industry by opening the door to working with the EU’s new defence fund. British tourists travelling to Europe will in future be eligible to use e-Gates, so ending huge queues at passport control, and we are asking all EU member states to implement this as soon as possible. There will be more co-operation on energy and emissions trading to drive down bills in the long term, thus saving UK businesses from having to pay £800 million in carbon taxes. The deal on fish will provide more certainty, save industry £25m a year by protecting our steel exports from new EU tariffs and protect our access rights and fishing areas.

On policing and border security, the agreement will close the huge gap the previous deal left in our ability to work together to tackle illegal migration and smash criminal gangs. There will be more co-operation on law enforcement, with better sharing of intelligence – including facial recognition data for the first time – to help combat terrorism and serious organised crime.

Lastly, there will be co-operation to set up a youth experience scheme which will allow our young people to travel and work in Europe and give the same opportunities for European young people here in the UK, with appropriate time-limits, caps and visa requirements.

Given the turmoil in global trading relationships at the moment, it is quite remarkable that Britain has managed to secure these three deals in the space of just over three weeks. For years, we were told that we were negotiating a deal with India and that we’d quickly get a deal with the United States of America after we left the European Union, but nothing happened. And now suddenly both have been achieved, alongside a new agreement with the European Union, which will bring a lot of benefits to the UK. It is a tribute to steady, patient diplomacy, negotiating skill, and a determination to put the interests of the country first.

Winter Fuel Payment Re-Think

The changes to eligibility for winter fuel payment have caused a great deal of debate, and I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister in the House of Commons recently expressing his wish to change the system so that more pensioners can become eligible for winter fuel payments, when fiscal conditions allow.

We inherited public finances that were in a terrible mess and had to take swift action to stabilise the economy. That included the difficult decision to means-test winter fuel payments so that they were targeted at those with the greatest need. The economy is now showing signs of recovery because we took the right decisions to restore stability and fix the black hole in the public finances. The UK is currently the fastest growing economy in the G7, interest rates have been cut four times, and we have strengthened the economy by securing the new trade deals discussed above.

But many people are still struggling with the cost of living, including pensioners, so as the economy recovers, we want more people to feel the benefits of that in their lives. That’s why we would like to expand the number of pensioners who are eligible for winter fuel payment when economic conditions allow and we can identify how to fund it.

Sutton Trust Report on Opportunity in Leeds South

This new research illustrates how opportunity is not spread evenly across the country. It shows that where you grew up can have as much, if not more impact, than your family’s individual socio-economic circumstances.

Leeds South is currently ranked 439 out of 543 constituencies in England on the Trust’s Opportunity Index. Levels of free school meals eligibility are very high. In comparison with other areas of England, GCSE results for disadvantaged pupils are just below average, with 21% achieving passes in English and Maths in 2023/2024, compared to a national average for all pupils of 42%. The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates in the constituency is low as is the progression to university, levels of income mobility into the top 20% of earners and levels of mobility to achieve above the median salary.

Local, Political and Parliamentary Activity

• Meeting with EU negotiators
• Oral Questions in the House of Commons
• Visited the British Library
• Visit to Verallia and UKREiiF in Leeds
• Visit to the Balmoral Show
• Attended the VE Day 80th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey
• Attended Kashmir event at Leeds Civic Hall
• Briefed Party Leaders in NI on UK-EU trade deal
• Interviews on BBC Good Morning Ulster and The View
• South Leeds Life Column