August 21, 2020
Boris Johnson is under pressure to allow Australians to live and travel freely in the UK as part of a post-Brexit trade deal between the two nations.Australian MPs are pressuring Johnson to include “generous provisions” allowing citizens to live and travel freely between Australia and the UK.In a report dubbed A Ripper Deal for the Adam Smith Institute think tank, Liberal Party Senator James Paterson wrote that the two countries were “bound by deep and historical ties”.He said work visas should require “minimal regulatory compliance” and championed a “Canzuk Union” of freedom of movement with Canada and New Zealand.“In the long term, a free-trade, free-movement block consisting of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK is an attractive idea in a dangerous world,” the conservative politician said.Under the proposals, citizens would be able to live freely between theCommonwealth countries while nations continued an “integration” of their economies.Polling has shown broad support for the plan.International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said last year that freedom of movement between the UK and Australia was being “looked at” - but she retracted the suggestion.In June, Johnson hailed the start of trade talks between the UK and Australia by vowing to sell Marmite and Penguins to Australians.The freedom of movement of EU citizens in the UK will come to an end in December when Britain leaves the trading bloc.The government has launched trade deal talks with the US and Japan but both have stalled.The UK remains at loggerheads with Japan over the export of Stilton cheese into the Japanese market while the US has paused talks.
