Sir Keir Starmer’s willingness to sign a deal which would see Britain adopt European Union food and veterinary standards could kill off hopes of a trade pact with Donald Trump's United States and hand control back to Brussels, critics including Refom UK leader Nigel Farage and former Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost have warned. The plan, set to be unveiled at a UK-EU summit next month, would place Britain into “dynamic alignment” with Brussels on food safety rules, consequently removing the need for border checks on agricultural products and easing post-Brexit trade friction, particularly in Northern Ireland.

However, critics fear the proposals risk putting the UK on a collision course with Washington, with critics claiming it would shut out American agricultural products and fatally undermine future talks on a US-UK free trade agreement. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likewise believes the plan will sabotage Britain’s economic future. He told The Telegraph: “If we are going to align with the European Union on food standards and veterinary standards, then we’re going to make life for America very difficult, maybe impossible.

"It is a very, very silly thing to do in a world that is fast-changing. Long term, financially, America is a much bigger goal.”

Lord Frost said the plan would make it harder to strike deals with non-EU powers – especially the US.

He said: “We would be selling away our ability to set our rules for no real benefit, and meanwhile, making it more difficult to do FTAs with the countries that we don’t have them with – notably America. It just makes no sense to me.”

Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “The Government should be prioritising securing a trade deal with one of the world’s largest economies, not cosying up with Brussels.”

The warnings come just one day after US Vice-President JD Vance said there was a “good chance” of securing a trade deal with the UK, hailing the transatlantic relationship as “important”.

However, any such deal could be dead in the water if the UK is seen to have locked itself into EU regulations.

Donald Trump has made little secret of his hostility to the bloc, branding it a “foe” on trade and accusing the bloc of having “raped and pillaged” the US economy.

On his self-declared “liberation day” on April 2, the billionaire imposed 20% tariffs on EU imports – twice the level applied to UK goods. The announcement sparked a global sell-off and a fall in US bond prices.

Trade talks between Brussels and Washington have made little progress, with American officials believing the tariff level could rise even further.

Sources close to Mr Trump have stressed he expects Britain to pick a side – and will not put up with a dual-track approach.

The deal, which has not been denied by British officials, is understood to have been in the works for at least two months as part of Sir Keir’s attempt to “reset” relations with Brussels.

A Government spokesperson said: "Growth is a priority as part of our Plan for Change, delivering good British jobs and more pounds in people's pockets."

"Reducing trade barriers for our businesses is vitally important to that, which is why we are seeking better trading relations with partners across the world - getting a better deal with the EU to see cheaper food and drink on people's tables, alongside a new economic deal with the US."