The government says it has been clear on its "red lines" regarding membership of the European Union, insisting it has no plans to rejoin the Customs Union or reintroduce freedom of movement. However, Schools Standards Minister Catherine McKinnell also says it is important to improve trading relations and security and defence arrangements with our "nearest trading partners". Report by Faragt. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00So we've been absolutely clear on our red lines that we won't join the customs union,
00:05the single market, or bring back freedom of movement.
00:08But it's absolutely right that we try and fix a terrible deal that we got when we left
00:14the EU through Brexit under the last government.
00:17We have to work to build our trading relationships with the European Union, also build our security
00:23and defence arrangements.
00:25And these discussions and conversations that the Prime Minister is having are really important
00:30to rebuild those relationships and have a grown up relationship with our nearest trading
00:36partners and our really important security and defence allies too.
00:40So I think it's really important that we continue with our very good trading relationship with
00:45the United States.
00:46We have a £300 billion worth of trade with the United States.
00:50We are their largest investor.
00:52They are our largest investor.
00:53We have £1.2 trillion invested in each other's economies.
00:57We have a really important relationship.
00:59They're an important strategic defence ally as well and we'll continue to build that relationship
01:06and work on it whilst also building on these relationships with the European Union.
01:11We need to do both.
01:12I think we're in a period of global insecurity, that's without a doubt.
01:16And that's already the situation that we're facing in terms of Ukraine and other challenges
01:21around the world, which is why the Chancellor has worked so hard to make sure that we get
01:26our national economy on a really stable footing, make some difficult decisions to do so.
01:33But then we can really build from there and really make much stronger our relationships
01:37with the European Union and continue with those developing trade ties and also continue
01:43to invest in the United States and work with the United States as a key ally as well.