'I knew how much it meant to their families and communities' - Prime Minister talks exclusively to the Star about the human impact of his trade deals to the people of the West Midlands

He also spoke of his determination to ensure that the UK retained its competitive advantage in food technology, of which Newport-based Harper Adams was a global leader.

In an exclusive interview, Sir Keir Starmer spoke of his emotion at seeing how the deals would benefit the workers at Jaguar Land Rover, whose jobs may have been at risk had a deal not been struck.

"I came up to Solihull to be with the workers at JLR, because I knew just how much it meant for them, their families and their communities," he said.

"JLR were under real pressure, as you know," he said. "And the striking of the deal with the US has had the effect of protecting and enhancing thousands and thousands of jobs in car manufacturing, that's why we signed the US deal."

The Prime Minister spoke to the Star after a meeting with Richard Parker, elected mayor for the West Midlands, to discuss the three trade deals struck with India, US and the EU,, and what could be done to ensure they delivered maximum benefit for the region.

He said Jaguar Land Rover, which employs 11,000 workers in the West Midlands, including about 1,400 at its engine plant near Wolverhampton, was the region's most obvious beneficiary of the US trade deal. The company exports about 100,000 cars a year to the US, accounting for about a quarter of all its sales.

Sir Keir said the trade deal with India also had huge potential for the West Midlands car industry, being the fastest-growing export market in the world. The deal saw tariffs fall from more than 100 per cent to 10 per cent.

He said the deal with European Union would reduce paperwork, certification requirements and border delays for food exports.

"For food and agriculture, the red tape is swept away," said Sir Keir. "And that means for farmers across the West Midlands that they are able to sell that product into the EU market without all the hassle, the red tape of bureaucracy, and therefore at much less cost, which is hugely important to them."

The Prime Minister said he and Mr Parker had discussed at great length the importance of the automotive industry and farming, and how those two sectors would be able to take advantage of the opportunities.

"We talked very much about delivery," that was at the heart of it.

He assured West Midland business leaders that the deal with the EU, and particularly its commitment to align with future European regulations, would not inhibit the UK's future ability to negotiate trade deals elsewhere in the world.

"The evidence of that is clear with the fact that we could strike a deal with the EU, as well as a deal with India, as well as a deal with the US," he said.

"This shows that we have reached a position under this government where we could have a much better relationship with the EU, which helps farmers and shopkeepers and supermarkets, because prices will come down, but at the same time, have other trading agreements with other countries India in particular, for whisky and gin and car manufacturing and manufacturing generally, and with the US for car manufacturing.

"So the proof of the pudding here is the fact that we signed the India and US deals alongside the EU deal."

The Prime Minister also gave assurances that the commitment to align with future EU regulations would not affect the competitive advantage that Britain enjoyed in the field of crop gene editing.

Harper Adams University at Newport is one of the leading centres in this field, renowned for its work in improving crop quality, yields, and resistance to pests and climate change.

The Prime Minister said there was no danger of future EU regulations impeding the application of this work.

"I'm acutely aware of this competitive advantage, and we want to keep that competitive advantage," he said.

"That is why we are talking through with the EU how that particular aspect will work, but I want to protect the interests that we have and that protect that competitive advantage is really important to us."

He said the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership - a free trade agreement between the UK and 10 other countries across Australasia and the Americas - also offered exciting opportunities for trade.  

"My assurance to businesses in the West Midlands and across Staffordshire is we are going at pace to reduce trade barriers, because I know that that makes their trade easier," he said.

"I want to reduce barriers, I want to make it easier for them to trade, because that will reduce cost, improve their profits. So we stand all square behind businesses in the West Midlands."