Anthony Albanese meets UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing St

Anthony Albanese and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have butted heads over a very touchy subject as they met to seal a free trade deal in London.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak to seal the bilateral Free Trade Agreement as part of a wider visit by the Australian leader in London for the King’s Coronation.

At a private meeting at 10 Downing Street, the leaders set out their shared ambition to broaden and deepen the UK-Australian relationship, co-operating on addressing global and regional threats, climate change and strengthening the bilateral partnership.

They noted significant opportunities to grow trade and investment with the ratification on May 31 of the Free Trade Agreement, for which the last processes were put into place this week.

Prime Minister Sunak welcomed the contribution of the long-standing bilateral partnership and joked how Britain would reclaim the Ashes win this year.

“Er, rivalry apart, no you won’t,” Mr Albanese quipped back.

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets Anthony Albanese upon his arrival for a meeting at Number 10 Downing Street in London. Picture: AFP

Mr Albanese speaks to the media outside 10 Downing St. Picture: Getty

Australian currently holds cricket’s coverted Ashes, after winning the last five-Test series over the Australian summer of 2021/22, 4-1.

Captain Tim Paine’s Aussie side defied the odds to draw the series 2-2, the last time the Ashes were held in England.

Australia hasn’t won an Ashes series in England since 2001. This years series kicks off at Edgbaston in Birmingham on June 16.

Australia celebrate winning the Ashes at the SCG in January last year. Photo: Linda Higginson

AUSTRALIA AND UK SEAL FREE TRADE DEAL

Behind closed doors the leaders met for 30 minutes and discussed further cooperation in defence and issues of shared concern, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and security

in the Indo-Pacific region.

He added the pair also discussed how “people-to-people relations” could be expanded, referencing working holiday visas as well as cooperation on climate change.

“Both governments believe there are enormous economic opportunities to be seized from action on climate change, and of course our co-operation in the Indo-Pacific.”

Mr Sunak said the UK-Australian trade deal announced earlier had huge benefits.

“It is great to welcome Anthony back to the UK,” Mr Sunak said. “It just shows the strength of the partnership and friendship between our two countries.”

To promote the new deal, Mr Albanese visited an Australian bakery in London that will benefit from a 13 per cent reduction on the costs of importing Aussie cheese, meats, and seafoods, and a 15 per cent reduction on the cost of wines.

Anthony Albanese visits Australian businesses in London.

“Bondi Green is a great Australian success story of Pru who travelled here with a different objective in life as a former lawyer and is still here,” Mr Albanese, who is in London for the King’s coronation on Saturday, said.

“The FTA is about Australia and the United Kingdom getting greater access to this market for Australian products, greater access for our beef, for our sheep products, for our wine, and other products,” he said.

Bondi Green will benefit from Australia’s free trade agreement with the UK.

“As part of the FTA we will change some of the labour market so that instead of being 30 years of age to get that temporary visa, we’ll increase it up to 35 in both countries, and extend it to three years so that people can come here, get that real experience over a longer period of time.”

Separately to the deal, the UK and Australia have signed a memorandum of understanding allowing Britons aged 18 to 35 to travel and work in Australia for up to three years. They will also no longer have to work on a farm to stay for longer periods. Australians aged between 21 and 45 can do the same in Britain.

A meeting at 10 Downing Street on Friday with British Prime Minister Government Rishi Sunak will move to finalise the processes of the FTA ahead of the coronation for the May 31st deadline. From June 1 it’s “game on.”

“That will be the date Australian companies can push for greater benefit here with more wine, more cheap products, more seafood, more spices, more products from Australia to be present here,” Mr Albanese said.

“It’s is a win-win, a win for Australia and a win for the United Kingdom. When you take off tariffs on goods you make them cheaper for both countries.”

Bondi Green owner Ms Freeman said she was looking forward to introducing more Asian flavours into her dishes once the agreement facilitates movement of produce.

“More fish, great meat and then big Asian flavours, for ten years I’ve been trying to get some great Australian products like Matilda cheese made on the farm next to mine in Victoria,” she said.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese meets UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing St