She claimed that Asia was taking us to the cleaners Taking the issue to Penny Mordaunt, the Shadow International Trade Secretary asked: Is it correct that New Zealand exports to the UK will increase by five times as much as UK exports to New Zealand? And that the UK's GDP will grow by half a billion pounds while the New Zealand's GDP will not increase by a single penny? She later added: I m reading the figures from our own department and there is a real problem.
This is now the third Asia-Pacific agreement in a row - Japan, Australia and now New Zealand - where more than 80 percent of the projected growth in trade, by our own department, has gone to exporters in those other countries and less than 20 percent has gone to exports to the UK. The government says that they are tilting to Asia, I have to say that Asia is taking us to the cleaners. Her comments sparked a huge reaction on social media, including via the Twitter page for Portsmouth Conservatives, PompeyToryParty, wrote: Double helping of pennyMordaunt this morning. Emily Thornberry and the SNP both getting verbally clobbered alongside a popcorn emoji. While Councillor Joe Porter, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Biodiversity took to Twitter to praise Penny, as Department for International Trade Minister, and also slammed Ms Thornberry for her comments, claiming that she talks down Brexit Britain s potential. LIVE UPDATES: Brexit LIVE: She does it again! Rishi's tax hikes risk destroying UK's historic opportunity - warning INSIGHT It comes after Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North, said the Government was building markets and that over time the figures will increase.