IN Saturday’s Echo (Mar 23), the US Ambassador to the EU hoped that nothing would halt a free trade agreement between the UK and the USA.
He seemed to have the strange idea that we only adhere to high standards of food quality, animal welfare and environmental considerations because they are imposed upon the UK by the EU.
He obviously believes that after a no-deal Brexit, we would welcome trade deals with the USA, having meat pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics which are at presently banned by EU rules, where foods can have an acceptable level of impurity.
Antibiotic resistance is already causing major difficulties world-wide, yet the attitude of the lax USA is contributing the worsening situation.
Though Liam Fox tries to claim that our high standards will be maintained, what influence would he really have? Can he have a free trade with the USA and maintain our top-flight standards?
Advocates of a no-deal Brexit should be careful of what they wish for.
Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough
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