Boris Johnson ridiculed by British sock makers over claim they are locked out of US market – The Independent
Sock makers have ridiculed a Boris Johnson claim that red tape locks them out of the US market, one alleging that anything the prime minister says is “likely not to be true”.
In his latest attack on regulations imposed by Washington, Mr Johnson claimed: “If you try to sell British socks in North America, they currently attract a 19 per cent tariff.
“And the Americans insist, before they allow British socks to be sold on the US market, that they must try to set fire to them twice.”
But Corgi Socks, a leading British manufacturer, insisted it was wrong to claim UK firms were penalised, saying: “We are at the upper end of the sock market and have a good USA business.
“Duty tariffs [with the US] are a bit of a barrier, regulations are not. We have no problem with regulations selling in the USA,” he told the POLITICO website.
And Rueven Fletcher, owner of the Sock Council, which describes itself as “a membership organisation that celebrates good socks,” also criticised the prime minister.


1/40 In: Jacob Rees-Mogg
Jacob Rees Mogg appointed Leader of the Commons
AFP/Getty

2/40 In: Esther McVey
Esther McVey appointed housing secretary
AFP/Getty

3/40 In: Jo Johnson
Jo Johnson appointed new business and energy secretary
EPA

4/40 In: Brandon Lewis
Brandon Lewis appointed immigration secretary
Getty

5/40 In: James Cleverly
James Cleverly appointed Conservative Party chairman
PA

6/40 In: Baroness Evans
Baroness Evans remains Leader of Lords
PA

7/40 In: Julian Smith
Julian Smith appointed Northern Irish secretary
Reuters

8/40 In: Alister Jack
Alister jack appointed Scottish secretary
PA

9/40 In: Alun Cairns
Alun Cairns remains Welsh secretary
AFP/Getty

10/40 In: Grant Shapps
Grant Shapps appointed transport secretary
Getty

11/40 In: Alok Sharma
Alok Sharma appointed international development secretary
AFP/Getty

12/40 In: Robert Buckland
Robert Buckland appointed justice secretary
Getty

13/40 In: Amber Rudd
Amber Rudd remains work and pensions secretary
Getty

14/40 In: Robert Jenrick
Robert Jenrick appointed housing and communities secretary
AFP/Getty

15/40 In: Andrea Leadsom
Andrea Leadsom appointed business secretary
Reuters

16/40 In: Nicky Morgan
Nicky Morgan appointed culture secretary
Getty

17/40 In: Gavin Williamson
Gavin Williamson appointed education secretary
AFP/Getty

18/40 In: Theresa Villiers
Theresa Villiers appointed environment secretary
AFP/Getty

19/40 In: Liz Truss
Liz Truss is appointed international trade secretary
Reuters

20/40 In: Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace appointed defence secretary
EPA

21/40 In: Stephen Barclay
Stephen Barclay remains EU secretary
AFP/Getty

22/40 In: Dominic Raab
Dominic Raab appointed foreign secretary
AFP/Getty

23/40 In: Priti Patel
Priti Patel appointed home secretary
AFP/Getty

24/40 In: Michael Gove
Michael Gove given Chandellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
AFP

25/40 In: Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
AP

26/40 Out: Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt sacked as foreign secretary
Reuters

27/40 In: Matt Hancock
Matt Hancock remains health secretary
AFP/Getty

28/40 Out: Chris Grayling
Chris Grayling resigned as transport secretary
Getty

29/40 Out: Jeremy Wright
Jeremy Wright sacked as culture secretary
PA

30/40 Out: Karen Bradley
Karen Bradley sacked as Northern Ireland secretary
Getty

31/40 Out: James Brokenshire
James Brokenshire sacked as housing and communities secretary
Reuters

32/40 Out: Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mourdaunt sacked as defence secretary
Reuters

33/40 Out: Liam Fox
Liam Fox sacked as international trade secretary
Getty

34/40 Out: Greg Clarke
Greg Clarke sacked as business secretary
PA

35/40 Out: David Mundell
David Mundell sacked as Scottish secretary
Getty

36/40 Out: Damien Hinds
Damien Hinds sacked as education secretary
Getty

37/40 Out: David Gauke
David Gauke resigned as justice secretary
EPA

38/40 Out: Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart resigned as international development secretary
Getty

39/40 Out: David Lidlington
David Lidlington resigned as deputy Prime Minister
PA

40/40 Out: Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer
AFP/Getty

1/40 In: Jacob Rees-Mogg
Jacob Rees Mogg appointed Leader of the Commons
AFP/Getty

2/40 In: Esther McVey
Esther McVey appointed housing secretary
AFP/Getty

3/40 In: Jo Johnson
Jo Johnson appointed new business and energy secretary
EPA

4/40 In: Brandon Lewis
Brandon Lewis appointed immigration secretary
Getty

5/40 In: James Cleverly
James Cleverly appointed Conservative Party chairman
PA

6/40 In: Baroness Evans
Baroness Evans remains Leader of Lords
PA

7/40 In: Julian Smith
Julian Smith appointed Northern Irish secretary
Reuters

8/40 In: Alister Jack
Alister jack appointed Scottish secretary
PA

9/40 In: Alun Cairns
Alun Cairns remains Welsh secretary
AFP/Getty

10/40 In: Grant Shapps
Grant Shapps appointed transport secretary
Getty

11/40 In: Alok Sharma
Alok Sharma appointed international development secretary
AFP/Getty

12/40 In: Robert Buckland
Robert Buckland appointed justice secretary
Getty

13/40 In: Amber Rudd
Amber Rudd remains work and pensions secretary
Getty

14/40 In: Robert Jenrick
Robert Jenrick appointed housing and communities secretary
AFP/Getty

15/40 In: Andrea Leadsom
Andrea Leadsom appointed business secretary
Reuters

16/40 In: Nicky Morgan
Nicky Morgan appointed culture secretary
Getty

17/40 In: Gavin Williamson
Gavin Williamson appointed education secretary
AFP/Getty

18/40 In: Theresa Villiers
Theresa Villiers appointed environment secretary
AFP/Getty

19/40 In: Liz Truss
Liz Truss is appointed international trade secretary
Reuters

20/40 In: Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace appointed defence secretary
EPA

21/40 In: Stephen Barclay
Stephen Barclay remains EU secretary
AFP/Getty

22/40 In: Dominic Raab
Dominic Raab appointed foreign secretary
AFP/Getty

23/40 In: Priti Patel
Priti Patel appointed home secretary
AFP/Getty

24/40 In: Michael Gove
Michael Gove given Chandellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
AFP

25/40 In: Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
AP

26/40 Out: Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt sacked as foreign secretary
Reuters

27/40 In: Matt Hancock
Matt Hancock remains health secretary
AFP/Getty

28/40 Out: Chris Grayling
Chris Grayling resigned as transport secretary
Getty

29/40 Out: Jeremy Wright
Jeremy Wright sacked as culture secretary
PA

30/40 Out: Karen Bradley
Karen Bradley sacked as Northern Ireland secretary
Getty

31/40 Out: James Brokenshire
James Brokenshire sacked as housing and communities secretary
Reuters

32/40 Out: Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mourdaunt sacked as defence secretary
Reuters

33/40 Out: Liam Fox
Liam Fox sacked as international trade secretary
Getty

34/40 Out: Greg Clarke
Greg Clarke sacked as business secretary
PA

35/40 Out: David Mundell
David Mundell sacked as Scottish secretary
Getty

36/40 Out: Damien Hinds
Damien Hinds sacked as education secretary
Getty

37/40 Out: David Gauke
David Gauke resigned as justice secretary
EPA

38/40 Out: Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart resigned as international development secretary
Getty

39/40 Out: David Lidlington
David Lidlington resigned as deputy Prime Minister
PA

40/40 Out: Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer
AFP/Getty
“My opinion is that if it comes out of Boris Johnson’s mouth it’s likely not to be true, you may quote me on that if it helps,” he said.
The backlash has echoes of accusations that the prime minister told porkies when he claimed Melton Mowbray pork pies could not be exported to the US because of “some sort of food and drug administration restriction”.
Mr Johnson argued the pies were sold in Thailand and Iceland – but the manufacturer insisted they were not exported anywhere outside the EU.
In July, he also came under attack for a false claim that “Brussels bureaucrats” are forcing kipper smokers to include ice packs with their products.
Running for the Tory leadership, he protested that producers in the Isle of Man were “furious” – but the European Commission pointed out the issue was “purely a UK national competence”.
The prime minister has insisted a post-Brexit US-UK trade deal can be struck, but has placed numerous UK demands as obstacles in the way of achieving it.
En route to the United Nations, before meeting the US president, he told reporters: “I will be making the point to President Trump, a point that I’ve made many times before, that we must tackle climate change together and we must tackle the loss of species together.
“But I will also be saying to President Trump is that, when we do a free trade deal, we must make sure that the NHS is not on the table, that we do not in any way prejudice or jeopardise our standards of animal welfare or food hygiene in the course of that deal. And that we open up American markets.”
Source: independent.co.uk