US trade deal could 'liberate the haggis', says Boris Johnson

But kicking off another day debating the Budget, the Foreign Secretary said a trade deal opens up the possibility of selling haggis to the US, boosting trade and jobs in Scotland.

He said Labour is wrong to be "pessimistic" about the prospects for the economy after Britain leaves the EU, and said dozens of countries want to do free trade deals with the UK post Brexit.

He told the Commons: "You have heard the United States of America, you have heard what they want to do and it would be hugely in the interests of every part of this country.

"Because it is the case, at the moment, that the United States not only still has an embargo on British beef, but on Scottish haggis as well.

"And I think it would be a fine thing...there is no other way of doing a free trade deal and liberating the haggis to travel across the Atlantic again unless we do a free trade deal with the United States."

Mr Johnson also highlighted the "colossal" thirst for whisky in India, and said firms north of the border will benefit hugely if a free trade deal is struck with the country.

He said: "Let me remind our friends from the Scottish National Party, who seem so determined to tear themselves, to wrench themselves apart of the UK, even though they had a decisive referendum on this matter only a couple of years ago.

"Let me just remind them, never mind haggis, Scotch whisky exports to India, a potentially huge market - the Indian thirst for whisky is colossal, currently...Scotch whisky sales to Indian only account for 4% of the Indian whisky market.

"That's because at the moment, without a free trade deal, the Indian government currently impose a 150% tariff on Scotch whisky.

"Now imagine a free trade deal lifted the exports of scotch to India to only a few percent, say 10%, dare to dream that Scotch whisky - which I think everybody in this House would concede is the original and authentic whisky - dare to dream that Scotch whisky was slaking just 15% of the gigantic Indian thirst for whisky.

"We would be talking of an increase in the profits for the Scotch whisky industry, for this country and above all for Scotland, every year running into hundreds of millions of pound.

"And that means jobs, and growth and investment for Scotland."

He hailed the achievements of British firms, telling MPs that the UK exports tea to China, bicycles to Holland and boomerangs to Australia.

He added: "I think we have on at least one occasion exported sand to Saudi Arabia and Nigel Farage to America, I am delighted to say."

And he singled out a business on a backstreet in his constituency of Uxbridge for particular praise.

"It has cornered the market in manufacturing the fancy display cabinets that are used to sell delicacies such as toblerone in every airport in Saudi Arabia", Mr Johnson said.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Johnson also indicated that the Government could consider privately-funded plans for a new royal yacht to promote Britain on the world stage.

Tory MP Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen), intervening, asked whether the Government would support proposals for a replacement royal yacht Britannia, after the existing vessel was taken out of service in 1997.

He said: "Would you not acknowledge that one of the ultimate ways that we could project the soft power of Britain and the prestige of Britain around the globe, and promote trade, is to recommission a new royal yacht for Her Majesty the Queen and have that as a floating trade mission to be used by industry around the globe in the interest of our nation?"

In reply, Mr Johnson said: "It is my view that it would indeed add greatly to the soft power of this country, a soft power which is already very considerable.

"If we were to have such a thing... the new Britannia should not be a call on the taxpayer. If it can be done privately, I am sure it would attract overwhelming support."

He went on: "It is one of a number of measures that I am sure that this Government will be able to consider."

Mr Johnson also maintained that the Government would secure a trade deal with the EU, in response to concerns from former Labour shadow chancellor Chris Leslie that the UK would have to revert to World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs and regulations.

In reply, he said: "I don't believe, by the way, that we will come to that because I think in the next couple of years we are going to have no difficulty in doing a deal that is very much in the interest of both sides."

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said there is "no evidence" the Government has a plan to actually deliver on Mr Johnson's "rhetoric".

She said: "It is striking that we are here to debate a Budget that has almost nothing to say about Britain's place in the world with even less to offer for it.

"I'm sure that we could all have predicted some of the rhetoric that we have already heard from Mr Johnson tonight about re-entry into the world markets, a truly global Britain, an active global Britain.

"I predict that we will hear more about brand Britannia and dynamic, agile, cutting-edge, global powers and global reach and global influence and the yacht etc and about exporting boomerangs.

"But the question is really this: What is the strategy for achieving all of that ambition and how does the Budget provide the resources to back it up.

"So far we have seen no evidence of either."

Ms Thornberry bemoaned cuts to the Foreign Office budget as she said a "fundamental rethink" on foreign policy is "absolutely imperative".

She added: "Simply talking about Toblerone display cabinets in Saudi Arabia is not sufficient. We need clear thinking, we need a clear plan and we need it without any further delay."

Meanwhile, SNP frontbencher Kirsty Blackman accused the Government of "taxing aspiration" as she attacked the decision to increase National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.