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Eight in race for No. 10

The number of contenders will be whittled down to two through more rounds of secret ballot, before British parliamentarians break up for the summer recess on July 21…reports Asian Lite News

Eight candidates have been nominated to enter the race to be the leader of the Conservative Party and replace outgoing Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister, the party’s backbench 1922 Committee said.

The eight contenders who successfully enlisted the required backing of at least 20 Conservative lawmakers are: Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak; Foreign Secretary Liz Truss; International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt; backbench lawmaker Tom Tugendhat; Attorney General Suella Braverman; newly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi; former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch; and former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The first round of voting among Tory lawmakers will be held on Wednesday and only those contenders who receive at least 30 votes can enter the second ballot, which is to be held on Thursday, according to the rules set by the 1922 Committee, which runs the leadership contest.

The number of contenders will be whittled down to two through more rounds of secret ballot, before British parliamentarians break up for the summer recess on July 21.

The final two contenders will then go through a postal ballot of all the Conservative members, numbering around 200,000, over the summer and the winner will be announced on September 5, becoming the new Tory leader and the UK’s next Prime Minister.

The Tory leadership race was triggered after Johnson was forced to bow to the inevitable on Thursday by an avalanche of resignations of cabinet ministers and other junior government officials in protest against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson continues to serve as caretaker Prime Minister until a new Tory leader succeeds him.

Johnson, who won a landslide victory in the general elections in 2019, lost support after he was caught in a string of scandals, including the Partygate scandal and the Chris Pincher scandal related to allegations of sexual misconduct by the former Conservative Party deputy chief whip.

Won’t demonise Boris, says Sunak

Meanwhile, Sunak marked the official launch of his Conservative Party leadership bid with a speech in which he pledged a “positive campaign”, which will not participate in demonising outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The 42-year-old UK-born Indian-origin politician, who is married to Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s daughter Akshata Murty, admitted he had disagreements with his former boss but also praised him as someone who has a good heart.

“Boris Johnson is one of the most remarkable people I’ve ever met. And, whatever some commentators may say, he has a good heart, Sunak said in his campaign launch speech in London. Did I disagree with him? Frequently. Is he flawed? Yes and so are the rest of us. Was it no longer working? Yes, and that’s why I resigned. But let me be clear, I will have no part in a rewriting of history that seeks to demonise Boris, exaggerate his faults or deny his efforts,” he said.

In an indirect reference to some reports over the weekend of damaging briefings and an alleged dirty dossier doing the rounds of the Tory groups, Sunak said: I am running a positive campaign focused on what my leadership can offer our party and our country.

“I will not engage in the negativity that some of you may have seen and read in the media. If others wish to do that, then let them. That’s not who we are, we can be better.”

On the issue that is seen as central to the leadership race, Sunak reiterated that as a former finance minister he is determined to steer the economy in the right direction but would not be making fairy tale promises on lowering taxes right away.

Boris Johnson hosts the Prime Ministers Business Council alongside the Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer and leading business figures in 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

“We need a return to traditional Conservative economic values and that means honesty and responsibility, not fairy tales. It is not credible to promise lots more spending and lower taxes, he said, as a clear counter-attack to some of his rivals who have promised tax cuts. So, that is my plan: tackle inflation, grow the economy and cut taxes. It is a long-term approach that will deliver long-term gains for families and businesses across the United Kingdom. I am prepared to give everything I have in service to our nation, to restore trust, rebuild our economy, and reunite the country,” Sunak said.

Unlike the more personal touch of a social media video which announced his intention to contest for the post of Tory leader following Johnson’s resignation last week, the campaign speech was more focussed on policy. Sunak laid out his long-term strategy as the future prime minister, underpinned by values of hard work, patriotism, fairness, a love of family and pragmatism.

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Sunak now bookmakers’ favourite  

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak leaves the Prime Minister Boris Johnson weekly Cabinet Meeting inside No10 Downing Street on his way to deliver his 2021 Budget to the House of Commons. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

Previously, the favourite in a poll of Conservative party members, who will ultimately determine the choice, was Ben Wallace, presently defence secretary. He has, however, declared he will not compete, reports Ashis Ray

Rishi Sunak, of East African Indian origin, was on Monday being touted as the bookmakers’ favourite in the British Conservative party’s leadership contest. The winner will automatically become the UK’s Prime Minister.

Previously, the favourite in a poll of Conservative party members, who will ultimately determine the choice, was Ben Wallace, presently defence secretary. He has, however, declared he will not compete.

Oddscheckers’ price on Sunak was 1.6/1. The second favourite was Penny Mordaunt, minister for international trade, who had in the past been defence secretary, at 3.3/1. The third favourite was the foreign secretary Liz Truss at 4/1. Tom Tugendhat, who has no ministerial experience but is chair of the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee, was quoted at 9/1; while Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign secretary, was being offered at 14/1.

Another bookmaker Skybet also had Sunak as favourite at 15/8, Mordaunt as second favourite at 7/2 and Truss as third favourite at 4/1.

The vacancy was created when the incumbent Boris Johnson lost the confidence of his party MPs after a series of scandals, and resigned on Thursday. 11 candidate have since thrown their hats into the ring. Among them, Sunak, who chancellor of the exchequer before he resigned last Tuesday, and Suella Fernandes Braverman, who is of Goan descent and is still serving as caretaker attorney general.

There are two runners of Pakistani extraction – Sajid Javid, who was health secretary in the Johnson cabinet till he led the spate of resignations on Tuesday, and Rehman Chishti, who was appointed a third tier minister in the Foreign Office after nearly 60 ministers decided not to remain in office under Johnson.

On Monday evening in London, Sir Nicholas Brady, the chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Party’s ‘1922 Committee’, which sets the rules of the race, said nominations will close on Tuesday. A candidate will need the backing of at least 20 MPs out of a total of 358 Conservative MPs to go forward. The first ballot will take place on Wednesday afternoon and the outcome revealed the same evening. Similarly, the second round is provisionally scheduled to take place on Thursday. He expected that a maximum of three rounds of balloting will be needed to whittle down the contestants to two.

The full membership of the Conservative party – estimated to be around a quarter of a million – will then choose the winner. The result will be declared on 5 September, when parliament is scheduled to return from its summer recess.

The Guardian indicated: “With just two contenders so far having the support of the 20 Tory (Conservative) MPs needed to get them on to the ballot, the remaining nine hopefuls were scrambling to shore up support by Tuesday night before knockout votes begin on Wednesday.” Sunak and Mordaunt were said to have the backing of 40 and 24 MPs respectively. Braverman is reported to have 12. A candidate will have to muster at least 30 votes in the first round to enter the second round.

Johnson will remain as lame duck premier until the election of his successor is made public. He told reporters he “wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances” by offering his backing to any of the candidates.

ALSO READ-New UK PM to be named on Sept 5

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Race for top job widens

Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Cabinet room for the Prime Minister’s weekly cabinet meeting before delivering his Spring Statement in the House of Commons . Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

For a traditionally low-tax favouring Conservative Party, the focus of the race is expected to be on the candidates’ plans to cut taxes…reports Asian Lite News

Former Cabinet minister Rishi Sunak maintained his lead as the race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and next Prime Minister widened with a total of nine candidates in the fray, with Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt emerging as an early second favourite.

Mordaunt shared a #pm4pm video to announce her candidacy, following Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Pakistani-origin former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

The complete line-up so far for the leadership race includes Goan-origin Attorney General Suella Braverman, Iraqi-origin Nadhim Zahawi, Nigerian-origin Kemi Bedanoch and Tory backbencher Tom Tugendhat.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is expected to declare her candidacy soon too, taking the total to 10 potential candidates in one of the widest battlefields for a Tory leadership race.

“Our leadership has to change. It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship,” said Mordaunt, who is now second ranked in the bookmaker’s odds with Sunak still ahead.

“If I become Prime Minister, I will protect women’s rights and ensure women and girls enjoy the same freedom most males take for granted in feeling safe from assault and abuse,” the UK-born former Chancellor said on Sunday.

The 42-year-old son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had launched his bid with a pledge to restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.

He is yet to lay out his plans in full but has so far not indicated any immediate tax cuts if elected leader.

For a traditionally low-tax favouring Conservative Party, the focus of the race is expected to be on the candidates’ plans to cut taxes.

Javid – the UK-born son of British Pakistani bus driver who has also served as a former Chancellor in the Cabinet – promised wide-ranging tax cuts, including cancelling next year’s scheduled hike in corporation tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent and instead gradually reduce it by 1p a year to 15 per cent.

“I don’t believe in unfunded tax cuts. This is a funded proposal,” he told the BBC soon after launching his bid.

Hunt, who came second in the last Tory leadership race when he lost to Boris Johnson, has set out a rival plan to reduce corporation tax to 15 per cent in the Budget later this year if elected.

He also revealed that if he becomes leader, he would make former minister Esther McVey, who founded the “blue collar” group aiming to target working-class voters, his Deputy Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Nadhim Zahawi has also said he wants to cut taxes for “individuals, families and businesses” and Shapps has promised to cut personal tax for the poorest.

The timetable for the leadership contest is expected to be announced next week after a meeting on Monday of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbench MPs, who set the rules for the race.

It will be a two-stage process, with Conservative MPs whittling down the field to two candidates through successive rounds of voting, before the wider Tory party membership elect their winner.

It is expected that the new Conservative Party leader would be known by early September.

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‘Boris to be kicked out of Downing Street’

Major strongly feels it would be “unwise” to permit Johnson a three-month run as caretaker Prime Minister…reports Asian Lite News

In an unusual but not unexpected intervention, former British Prime Minister and also a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative party, Sir John Major has written to the chair of the body that conducts elections to the post of party leader, known as the 1922 Committee, to say Johnson should not be allowed to remain in a caretaker role until the autumn.

Major strongly feels it would be “unwise” to permit Johnson a three-month run as caretaker Prime Minister.

“For the overall wellbeing of the country, Mr Johnson should not remain in Downing Street – when he is unable to command the confidence of the House of Commons – for any longer than necessary to effect the smooth transition of government,” he wrote in a letter to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.

The former leader of the Conservative party suggested one of two solutions. Either Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab be made acting Prime Minister or the rules governing the election of a new leader be changed to enable MPs to choose a prime minister immediately. Party members can then ratify the selection.

ALSO READ-Finally Boris quits, will be PM till October

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Finally Boris quits, will be PM till October

Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Brize Norton after returning from the Ukraine. Picture by Freddie Mitchell / No 10 Downing Street

Ministers Helen Whately, Damian Hinds, George Freeman, Guy Opperman, Chris Philp, and James Cartlidge have also stepped down…reports Asian Lite News

Following a series of mass resignations by Cabinet members, Boris Johnson will resign as leader of the UK’s Conservative Party on Thursday, but will continue as Prime Minister until later this year.

Regarding the resignation, “the Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today”, the BBC quoted a Downing Street spokesperson as saying.

He had vowed to “keep going” following a wave of resignations from the government over his leadership but has now decided to step down.

A Conservative leadership race will take place soon and a new Prime Minister will be in place in time for the Conservative Party conference in October.

Earlier on Thursday, Caroline Johnson resigned as vice chair of the Conservative Party, as well as Nadhim Zahawi and Michelle Donelan, who were only appointed as the Chancellor and Education Secretary respectively on Tuesday, have also quit.

In his resignation letter, Zahawi, who was given the job less than 48 hours ago, said he had “made clear to the Prime Minister” that he should “leave with dignity”, the BBC reported.

In her resignation letter, Donelan said that “I see no way that you (Johnson) continue in post, but without a formal mechanism to remove you it seems that the only way this is only possible, is for those of us who remain in cabinet to force your hand”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGEUAvL9Jsw

Ministers Helen Whately, Damian Hinds, George Freeman, Guy Opperman, Chris Philp, and James Cartlidge have also stepped down.

Two of the biggest resignations on Tuesday were that of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak from the post of Chancellor and Pakistani-origin Sajid Javid as the Secretary of State for Health.

Sunak did not directly accuse the Prime Minister of impropriety in his letter of resignation but instead highlighted ideological and policy differences, which sounded like him advocating fiscal prudence versus Johnson wanting to borrow and spend.

Javid said he can no longer serve in Johnson’s government in “good conscience” as he has “lost confidence” in the Prime Minister.

ALSO READ-Boris faces growing pressure to resign

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Boris faces growing pressure to resign

Meanwhile, the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers has decided not to change the rules to allow a second confidence vote against Johnson…reports Asian Lite News

Hit by a wave of resignations of top ministers, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday came under fresh pressure from his Cabinet to quit.

Newly-named Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, who succeeded Rishi Sunak who announced his resignation on Tuesday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart are among those at 10 Downing Street to convince Johnson to quit over his handling of sexual misconduct claims against former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher, the BBC reported.

Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris is also understood to be there.

The new development comes as mass resignations from MPs in government roles continue, but Johnson has so far said he will not quit and even ruled out a mid-term poll.

Meanwhile, the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers has decided not to change the rules to allow a second confidence vote against Johnson.

It will instead hold an election on Monday to choose its new executive, which will decide any rule changes.

Johnson survived a confidence vote by Conservative MPs last month. Under existing rules, he is immune from another confidence vote for a year now.

ALSO READ-2 more UK ministers resign in fresh blow to Boris

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2 more UK ministers resign in fresh blow to Boris

The |Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Number 10 for prime Minister's Questions. 10 Downing Street. Picture by Tim Hammond / No 10 Downing Street

The resignations have added to the pressure on the Prime Minister following the departure of his health and finance ministers…reports Asian Lite News

In a fresh blow to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who recently survived a leadership challenge, three more have resigned from his government on Wednesday, media reports said.

Education ministers Will Quince and Robin Walker and ministerial aide Laura Trott on Wednesday, BBC reported.

Will Quince said he had “no choice but to tender my resignation” while Laura Trott said she was quitting over a loss of “trust” in the government.

The resignations have added to the pressure on the Prime Minister following the departure of his health and finance ministers.

Two of Boris Johnson’s top ministers — Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid — quit the government on Tuesday.

“I have spoken to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Secretary of State for Health & Social Care. It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience,” Javid had said in a tweet.

Javid said he can no longer serve in Boris Johnson’s government in “good conscience” as he has “lost confidence” in the Prime Minister.

Setting out his decision to quit in a letter, he wrote: “I am instinctively a team player but the British people also rightly expect integrity from their Government. The tone you set as a leader, and the values you represent, reflect on your colleagues, your party and ultimately the country. Conservatives at their best are seen as hard-headed decision makers, guided by strong values. We may not have always been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest.

“Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither. The vote of confidence last month showed that a large number of our colleagues agree. It was a moment for humility, grip and a new direction. I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership – and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”

Soon after, Sunak also put in his paper, saying “we’re fundamentally too different”.

In his letter, he said “the public rightly expect the government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

Noting that “our country is facing immense challenges”, he said: “I publicly believe the public are ready to hear that truth. Our people know that if something is too good to be true then it’s not true. They need to know that whilst there is a path to a better future, it is not an easy one.

“In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different.”

“I am sad to be leaving government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this,” he added.

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Ex-top official targets Johnson’s office

Newspapers have since reported he had faced several previous allegations of sexual misconduct. Pincher, who has been suspended by the Conservative Party, has not responded to requests for comment…reports Asian Lite News

A former top Foreign Office official accused Boris Johnson’s office on Tuesday of lying over whether the British leader knew about earlier complaints of sexual misconduct made against a minister who resigned over his behaviour last week.

The claim will pile further pressure on Johnson over what he knew when he appointed Christopher Pincher to a role involved in enforcing discipline and offering pastoral care in the governing Conservative Party, at a time when many of his lawmakers are increasingly frustrated at his scandal-ridden administration.

“No 10 keep changing their story and are still not telling the truth,” Simon McDonald, who served as Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign Office at the time Pincher was a junior minister there, said on Twitter.

McDonald said there was investigation into Pincher in 2019 and that “Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation”.

Pincher resigned as Deputy Chief Whip last week saying he had drunk too much, embarrassed himself and “caused upset” to people. British media reported that Pincher had sexually assaulted two male guests at a London club.

Newspapers have since reported he had faced several previous allegations of sexual misconduct. Pincher, who has been suspended by the Conservative Party, has not responded to requests for comment.

Last week, Johnson’s office said he was not aware of any specific complaints against Pincher before appointing him, before on Monday saying he was aware of “some allegations that were either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint”.

“In the absence of a formal complaint it was not appropriate to stop an appointment on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations,” Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday.

McDonald said Johnson’s office was making “inaccurate claims”.

“In the summer of 2019, shortly after he was appointed minister of state at the Foreign Office, a group of officials complained to me about Mr Pincher’s behaviour … An investigation upheld the complaint; Mr Pincher apologised and promised not to repeat the inappropriate behaviour,” he said in a letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

“Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation,” he added. “Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as ‘unsubstantiated’ is therefore wrong.”

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who was Foreign Secretary at the time of the 2019 complaint against Pincher, said on Tuesday it had not resulted in formal disciplinary action and that he was not aware Johnson had been told about it.

“Pincher deceived me and others in 2019,” McDonald said in the letter, which he posted on Twitter. “He cannot be allowed to use the confidentiality of the process three years ago to pursue his predatory behaviour in other contexts.”

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BIG BLOW FOR BORIS

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid quit expressing their loss of confidence in PM’s leadership amidst a spate of scandals…reports Asian Lite News

In a big blow to embattled British Prime Minister Johnson, two of his senior Cabinet colleagues, including Chancellor Rishi Sunak, resigned on Tuesday, as they expressed their loss of confidence in his leadership amidst a spate of scandals.

The 42-year-old British Indian minister posted his resignation letter on Twitter soon after another senior Cabinet colleague, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, resigned.

The ministerial exits will come as a big blow to Johnson’s leadership and follow a day of high political drama since a former civil servant spoke out about Downing Street’s handling of allegations against recently suspended MP Chris Pincher.

“The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously,” Sunak tweeted.

“I recognise this may be last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning,” he said.

It came soon after Johnson said he “bitterly regrets” giving Pincher a government role as Deputy Chief Whip after being made aware of a misconduct complaint against him.

“In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do and I apologise to everyone who has been badly affected by it. I just want to make absolutely clear that there’s no place in this government for anybody who is predatory or abuses their position of power,” he said.

Sajid Javid, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, in his resignation letter said, “We [Conservative party] may not have always been popular, but we have been competent in acting in the national interest. Sadly, in the current circumstances, the public are concluding that we are now neither.”

The vote of confidence last month showed that a large number of our colleagues agree.

“I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership and you have therefore lost my confidence too.

Johnson has been publicly backed by loyal allies Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and minister for Brexit Opportunities Jacob Rees-Mogg, who insisted the prime minister was the “right man for the job”.

The resignation of two senior cabinet ministers has plunged Mr Johnson into a fresh leadership crisis weeks after he survived a no-confidence vote.

The PM is immune from a Conservative leadership challenge until June next year under party rules, after he won 59% of the vote.

In response to the resignations, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would welcome a snap election and the country needed a change of government.

He said: “After all the sleaze, all the failure, it’s clear that this Tory government is now collapsing.”

The next general election is expected to be held in 2024 but could be earlier if Mr Johnson used his powers to call one.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, said the prime minister’s “government of chaos has failed our country”, and called for him to go.

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said “the whole rotten lot” in Mr Johnson’s government should go, accusing ministers of “lying to public”.

During the course of the day, some of the PM’s prominent critics called on government ministers to put pressure on the prime minister to resign.

A chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and an ex-chancellor, Sajid Javid, have done just that. Both men see their resignations as necessary if the PM is to be pushed out.

Both may be positioning for a future leadership contest. But even now, Downing Street will hope to avoid this.

Boris Johnson still has his foreign secretary, home secretary, defence secretary and business secretary.

And, remember, a beleaguered Gordon Brown survived a ministerial resignation because the rest of his cabinet stayed loyal, when he was in Number 10.

But it now seems more likely that other ministers, in more junior roles, who have been privately critical of Boris Johnson could follow Mr Sunak and Mr Javid’s lead.

The last Conservative prime minister to face a party vote on their leadership was Theresa May, who won the vote but resigned six months later over her approach to Brexit.

Johnson’s government has been dogged by a series of controversies in recent months, prompting some Tory MPs to call for the prime minister’s resignation.

Discontent among Tory MPs has grown since a highly critical report into lockdown parties in and near Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic was published earlier this year.

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Boris to host New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden watch the Kapa Haka group give a performance in the garden of 10 Downing Street. Picture by Tahmid Choudhury / No 10 Downing Street

The UK and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement in February following a similar deal with Australia in late 2021…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in London on Friday for talks on security and boosting bilateral ties.

The meeting comes after both leaders attended the NATO summit in Madrid this week.

Johnson’s office said he and Ardern will discuss security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and the situation in Ukraine.

They are also expected to discuss tackling online disinformation and deepening bilateral trade ties as well as agree on new measures to boost the two countries’ ties in scientific research.

“The partnership between the U.K. and New Zealand makes both of our countries safer and more prosperous,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are working side by side to address new and evolving threats that threaten to undermine stability and sovereignty in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.”

The UK and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement in February following a similar deal with Australia in late 2021.

Johnson said the agreement slashes red tape, cuts tariffs on exports and creates opportunities for British businesses to travel and trade. But British farmers have said eliminating tariffs for agricultural products would expose sectors like beef, lamb and dairy to unfair competition.

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