The many obstacles in the way of a US trade deal after Brexit

Transatlantic allies have differences on issues from healthcare to mobile phones, social media and chicken dinners, writes Andrew Woodcock

PM insists NHS will be kept out of any agreement (AFP/Getty)

Leaving the EU was supposed to open the doors for Britain to strike lucrative new trade deals with countries like the USA.

But as Boris Johnson prepares to greet Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, to London on the eve of Brexit day, the UK seems to be stacking up more reasons for trade disputes than accords.

The decision on Huawei, expected on Tuesday, is the biggest of these, and could have massive ramifications not only for Britain’s trade links but also security and intelligence ties with its closest partners including the US.