UK-Australia free trade deal: Former British foreign secretary David Owen calls for closer ties

In an exclusive interview with The Weekly Times, former British foreign secretary David Owen said a Canberra-London deal would be of benefit to both British and Australian farmers.

Lord David Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1976 to 1979. Picture: David Bebber/ The Times

FORMER British foreign secretary David Owen has urged London and Canberra to broker a trade deal this year, following the UK’s official exit from the European Union.

Great Britain and the European Union struck a trade deal just prior to Christmas that will allow British firms to continue to have tariff and quota-free access to ­European markets over the coming decade.

The UK officially left the European single market and customs union on December 31, more than four years after the Brexit referendum result in June 2016.

In an exclusive interview with The Weekly Times, Lord Owen said a Canberra-London deal would be of benefit to both British and Australian farmers as Australia moves away from Beijing due to the Chinese Government’s bullying trade tactics.

“I want a mutually advantageous free trade agreement with Australia,” Lord Owen said.

“I go further than this, since China broke its treaty over Hong Kong with the UK unilaterally, I want the UK to strengthen its intelligence partnership with Australia and become very closely allied with Australia in defence and economic matters as part of a free Indo-Pacific initiative.”

Lord Owen served as the UK’s foreign minister from 1977 to 1979 under Prime Minister James Callaghan. He went on to lead the Social Democratic Party in the 1980s and now sits as a crossbench member of the House of Lords.

“I want the utmost solidarity now between our two countries as you face sanctions from China,” Lord Owen said.

“Against all that background I have no doubt we will quickly negotiate a free trade agreement and it will be easier to do since the British government has already announced changes for the restructuring of British farming outside the European Union.”

The UK is Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner with two-way goods and services trade valued at $30.3 billion in the 2018-19 financial tear. It is also Australia’s second-largest source of foreign investment.

Just prior to Christmas, Australia’s new trade minister Dan Tehan welcomed the London-Brussels deal, saying it provided greater global stability as well as opening up opportunities for Australia.

“The deal will give renewed impetus to our efforts to secure comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreements with the UK and the EU,” Mr Tehan said.

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