Brexit: Minister refuses to comment on chlorinated chicken plan – claiming Americans may be listening

‘Our counterparties from across the Atlantic might be taking account of my comments,’ Liz Truss says – despite idea having been raised with Washington

A cabinet minister has refused to reveal the details of the proposed deal that would allow chlorinated chicken into the UK – claiming the Americans might be listening.

A “dual tariff” plan has been put forward to Donald Trump’s administration that would permit US food that does not meet current British standards, provided they paid higher levies.

But, asked for the first time about the idea by a committee of MPs, trade secretary Liz Truss refused to discuss it – while twice ducking the opportunity to deny it.

“I’m not going to go into detail in this committee on our negotiating strategy, because I suspect our counterparties from across the Atlantic might be taking account of my comments,” she claimed.

The comment was made despite it being widely accepted that the proposal has already been made to Washington, in detailed talks continuing this week.

Earlier this month, No 10 dropped a pledge to maintain bans on both chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef, as talks towards a trade deal with Washington ramp up.

Ministers have been accused of risking the greatest risk to food safety since mad cow disease 20 years ago, undermining “a food safety revolution” that protected British shoppers.

The comments also came after a separate committee accused ministers of drawing a “veil of secrecy” over decision-making after Brexit, MPs having been shut out of scrutinising trade deals.

Put under pressure by the Commons international trade committee, Ms Truss came out fighting – insisting she was ready to walk away from the US talks, if her “red lines” were crossed.

When it was pointed out that Washington was insisting on the UK accepting its food products – despite criticism of its farming methods – she said that did not mean London was “going to accept them”.

“I will only strike a deal with the US that fits with British interests and protects all our red lines,” the trade secretary vowed.

There was “no time limit” or deadline. “There is no way I will be pressurised into, or bounced into, getting an agreement,” Ms Truss said.

Asked if US food would even be clearly labelled so shoppers were informed – given Washington’s stated refusal to accept labelling – she replied: “This is all extremely hypothetical.”

She condemned “scaremongering” and argued food standards were protected by the Food Standards Agency, telling MPs: “They are not part of the negotiation.”

However, Ms Truss has acknowledged that although the EU bans on chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef will be transferred into UK law, it will then be free for parliament to change that.

She also rubbished her own government’s forecasts of a big GDP loss from the looming hard Brexit, with little benefit from the trade deals sought with the US, Australia, New Zealand and others.

“No one has a crystal ball and can forecast the future,” Ms Truss argued, adding: “We have not negotiated them yet.”

Angus MacNeil, the Scottish Nationalist trade committee chair, said: “Many will be gobsmacked by that.”