Boris Johnson: I’d rather wait for a ‘great’ UK-US free trade deal

Boris Johnson appears to have given up hope of securing a UK-US free trade deal any time soon, saying that Joe Biden, the US president, has other "fish to fry".

In comments underscoring how many steps remain until a final agreement is struck, Mr Johnson said he would rather wait for a "great" deal than hurry talks.

His official spokesman declined to say he believed a deal could be done and got through Congress before the US midterm elections next November. It means that, more than five years after the Brexit vote, it remains unclear how, when and in what form a UK-US deal – much touted in by eurosceptics – will happen.

Mr Johnson will on Tuesday visit the White House for the first time since becoming Prime Minister more than two years ago, holding face-to-face talks with Mr Biden in the Oval Office. He will also meet Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, and congressional leaders.

Speaking to reporters on his flight to New York, Mr Johnson played down hopes of a speedy breakthrough on free trade talks.

"On the FTA [free trade agreement], the reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry. He's got a huge infrastructure package, he's got a 'build back better' package," he said.

"We want to do it, but what we want is a good FTA, a great FTA. And I have quite a lot of experience of American negotiations, and they are pretty ruthless, the American negotiators. I would much rather get a deal that really works for the UK than get a quick deal."

Mr Johnson was one of the leaders of the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum and championed the ability of the UK to secure new trade deals after Brexit.

The UK was unable to negotiate with Washington while it was part of the EU. Progress was made under Donald Trump's presidency – but Mr Trump was voted out last year.

Mr Biden, who entered the White House in January, has adopted a much more cautious approach to trade deals than his predecessor, stressing that theyare not a priority. Talks on the UK-US deal have stalled since he became president, with US trade representative Katherine Tai only taking up her post in April.

There remains doubt about whether Mr Biden is willing to prioritise pushing a deal through Congress, with just one Democratic rebel enough to lead to defeat in the Senate.

It is possible that the Republicans could take back control of the Senate at next November's elections, allowing them to block Democratic legislation – which would throw the deal further into doubt.

Discussing his relationship with Mr Biden, Mr Johnson declined to say that the pair were friends. They have only talked and met a few times since the US president's inauguration in January. But the Prime Minister did say they shared a common passion, telling reporters: "He's a bit of a train nut, as am I.

"I also think that, as we go to Washington, our relations with the USA are about as good as they have been at any time in decades. When we last flew out a couple of years ago we had all sorts of pebbles in the shoe.

"But I can tell you today we've got the British beef ban lifted. British beef is being exported to the United States. We've lifted the tariffs on whisky to the United States.

"We've sorted out the Boeing-Airbus dispute that bedevilled our relations for many years, and we've launched a historic pact with our Australian friends as well, which will enable the UK and US to share technology, to develop a defence technology partnership and more, for decades ahead."