Sun Japan Trade Deal Scoop ISN’T

And so the odious flannelled fool Master Harry Cole continues his mission to take a total lack of journalistic ability higher and higher within the crumbling walls of the Fourth Estate: he has now completed his move from the increasingly wayward Mail on Sunday, where he was merely deputy political editor, to the Murdoch Sun, where he has inexplicably been appointed to replace the non-bullying Tom Newton Dunn as a real political editor.

This move has brought forth an alleged “Exclusive” this morning, as Cole has told the world “UK to sign first trade deal as an independent nation ‘within weeks’ after ‘significant breakthrough’ in daily Japan talks. Ministers set for September wrap up in breakneck trade negotiations after 40 years bound to EU. Read all about it”. So what’s the story?

“Negotiations opened on June 8 and have been conducted daily until today's ‘significant breakthrough’ … The top-level dialogue is at an “advanced stage” and ministers believe they could wrap it up by September … The accord will reduce the cost of Japanese tech devices, such as PlayStations, and allow the UK to sell more luxury cars there”.

There is more. “The arrangement will be implemented on January 1, 2021 - as soon as the UK’s transition period out of the EU expires. The outline of the agreement is based on the EU-Japan deal from last year”. And as Fred Flintstone might have put it, hold it … HOLD IT! We have been here before. And Cole’s article is mere Government propaganda.

Consider this passage: “the UK has sought a further ‘reduction or elimination’ of Japanese tariffs on goods imported from Britain [has it got a reduction, though?] as well as ‘ambitious commitments on market access’ to UK businesses [which means nothing] … A Government source said: ‘Japan is happening - and it’s happening soon.’” That last indicated nothing more than Master Cole’s ability to take dictation.

We already knew what was going on vis-a-vis a Japan trade deal, as the Independent covered the subject last month, bringing us the bad news that the UK had been given the deal by the Japanese to sign on the dotted line by the end of July - or else face disruption come 2021. All Cole has confirmed is that the UK is indeed signing on the dotted line.

As the Indy put it, “Japan has become increasingly exasperated with Britgov ‘playing games’ and has referred back to its clear and concise missive much as EU finds itself constantly having to refer back to UK promises in its political declaration”. Which means that what Japan is imposing on the UK now, the EU will do very much the same thing.

Far from some great success, all that the Sun report has confirmed is that a now weakened UK has done as it is bloody well told - and increases the likelihood that the UK will cave in to the EU as well. Worse, the deal with Japan may have the same outline as the EU deal, but it will not be as good. Not if the EU has Most Favoured Nation status written into it. If Master Cole doesn’t understand that, he needs to do some research.

Newton Dunn made claims about a UK-Japan trade deal back in January that were not credible; his successor has merely continued the propagandising.

Meanwhile, in the real world, the UK is being royally rolled over. As we were warned.

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