Sun US Trade Claim = FAKE NEWS

The ability of the right-leaning part of our free and fearless press to cheer for the benefits of Brexit, despite there not being any to speak of, is unrivalled in its sheer futility. Sadly, sometimes the cheerleading overreaches itself, and this, together with the apparent inability of some hacks to do the most basic research, has most unfortunate results.

This has manifested itself in the Murdoch Sun, one of the most strident Brexit boosters, publishing a story which is not only total bunk, but very obviously so. Deputy political editor Kate Ferguson - admittedly, being deputy to the pretend journalist Master Harry Cole, the odious flannelled fool who cut his teeth at the Guido Fawkes blog, is perhaps not as senior a role as might be thought - has today covered herself in less than total glory.

Claiming an “exclusive” for her story - clearly, the thought that this might have meant it wasn’t a story did not enter - Ms Ferguson tells readers “BRITAIN will sign trade deals with individual US states rather than wait for Joe Biden to ink an America-wide agreement, the Sun can reveal … The radical change in policy comes after the US President dashed hopes of a swift post Brexit pact - saying it is not a priority”. Really? Do go on.

“Instead, ministers are launching a charm offensive on individual states like California and Indiana to get mini trade deals signed. They reckon that by bypassing the White House they can get multi billion pound deals inked at lightning-quick speed … A Department for International Trade insider told the Sun: ‘From York to New York, Birmingham in the Midlands to Birmingham Alabama - we want to turbo boost UK and US businesses’”.

The alleged “insider” then doubles down on the individual state trade deal claim. “When you look at the numbers, the wins on offer by bagging trade agreements with individual states are massive … California’s economy alone is larger than the economy of the whole of France”. Well, yes it is, but both California and France share one attribute.

And that is that neither is free to negotiate trade deals on its own. France, as an EU member state and part of the Single Market, pools sovereignty in this area and trade deals are negotiated on its behalf by the EU. California, meanwhile - as with every state of the Union - is bound by Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution.

Which states “No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility”.

The power to enter into any “Treaty, Alliance or Confederation” is enjoyed solely by the President, and only then, with the appropriate majority of Congress’ approval. That includes trade deals. This is the same mistake made by UK politicians trying to pick off individual EU member states, only to find that this, too, is prohibited.

Or, as Jonn Elledge put it, “Good to see this government understands the constitution of the United States almost as well as it understands the workings of the European Union”.

Either the Government does not know what it’s doing, or the Murdoch droids can’t see an obvious con job. Which of those is true I will leave to others to figure out.

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