Britain will continue to be an “energetic partner” to its international allies after Brexit, Boris Johnson has said, as he prepared to fly to Biarritz for the G7 summit – his first major appearance on the world stage as prime minister.
Fresh from Brexit discussions in Berlin and Paris this week, Johnson will use a string of bilateral meetings with world leaders in the French resort to underline Britain’s determination to remain internationalist.
“My message to G7 leaders this week is this. The Britain I lead will be an international, outward-looking, self-confident nation,” he said in remarks released by Downing Street in advance of the meeting. “We will be an energetic partner on the world stage. We will stand alongside our G7 allies to solve the most pressing international issues.”
Johnson’s most closely watched encounter will be a Sunday breakfast with Donald Trump, at which the pair are expected to discuss issues including Iran, Hong Kong and the prospects for a bilateral trade deal after Brexit. Johnson will reiterate the UK’s determination to protect the NHS against incursions from US companies. He will also underline his commitment to maintaining the UK’s stringent animal welfare standards.
The US president has repeatedly praised Johnson, calling him “Britain Trump”, and stressing their “very good relationship”.
Downing Street is keen to capitalise on the rapport between the pair, as the UK prepares to leave the vast trading bloc of the EU. Johnson is wary thoughof being seen as Trump’s poodle, the derisive term often used to describe Tony Blair’s relationship with George W Bush during the Iraq war.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, accused Johnson on Friday of pursuing a “Trump first” foreign policy.
“The UK should use its position in the G7, on the UN security council and the international financial institutions to promote policies to tackle the climate emergency and that are proven to reduce inequality and improve lives around the world, including universal healthcare, education and social security,” Corbyn said.
“Instead, this weekend we’ll see the ugly spectacle of our prime minister pursuing his Trump-first policy, putting us at the mercy of a US administration that threatens peace, prosperity and the future of our planet.”
Downing Street is not expecting a specific timetable for trade talks to emerge from the weekend’s discussions. Both sides are conscious of the challenging questions involved, including on animal welfare standards and the NHS. A government spokesperson said: “Of course we want to move quickly, but we want to get the right deal that works for both sides.”
Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, has suggested a series of “fast track” deals could be signed covering specific sectors – perhaps within months of Brexit day. London, however, intends to continue pursuing a broader agreement, which is likely to take longer to conclude.
Cross-Whitehall analysis published last year suggested a new trade deal with the US would be likely to add just 0.2% to GDP in the long term.
The thorniest issue under discussion is likely to be Iran. Johnson is not expected to signal any shift in position away from staunch support for the multilateral nuclear deal rejected by Trump. He hopes to stress the shared aims of both the US and Europe in restraining Tehran, despite bitter disagreement in recent months about how to approach the issue.
Johnson also appeared to take aim at Trump’s tit-for-tat economic battle with China in his pre-summit statement, pointing to the damage wrought by new barriers to trade. “International tensions and new trade barriers are threatening global growth,” he said, before listing a string of other issues on the agenda in France.
“Violence and conflict are trapping countries in poverty, depriving children, and particularly girls, of the universal right to education. Climate change is accelerating the devastating and unprecedented loss of habitats and species.”
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has scrapped the idea of an overarching G7 communique, hoping to skirt lengthy wrangles over issues such as the climate crisis, where the Trump White House stands apart. Aseries of separate agreements are expected to be published instead.
As well as meeting Trump, and the Canadian, Japanese and Italian leaders, Johnson will also hold his first face-to-face discussions with the European council president, Donald Tusk, as the government races to meet what the prime minister has called the “blistering” timetable for reworking the Brexit deal.
The lead on Brexit is taken not by the European council, but the European commission, whose president, Jean-Claude Juncker, will not be in Biarritz because he is recovering from an operation.
With Labour threatening to table a vote of no confidence when parliament returns from its summer recess next month in an effort to avert a no-deal Brexit, Johnson is keen to demonstrate his determination to negotiate a deal.
He has seized on the German chancellor Angela Merkel’s mention of seeking a solution within 30 days, though both she and Macron both restated their determination that the Irish backstop must remain in place. Johnson will again reiterate his government’s determination to leave the EU on 31 October, come what may.
