Theresa May says ministers are working ‘full steam ahead’ to get Britain out of the European Union
Yesterday City insiders said “chaotic” Whitehall departments were not ready to trigger Article 50
THERESA May vowed ministers were working “full steam ahead” to complete Brexit last night amid claims delays could see Britain staying in the EU for another three years.
Yesterday City insiders said “chaotic” Whitehall departments were not ready to trigger Article 50 - the first step to Brexit - for another 12 months.
And there were claims Britain might not fully leave the EU until after 2019.
Leading Tory Eurosceptic Jacob-Rees Mogg said while triggering Article 50 in January next year to begin Britain’s formal exit was “reasonable”, any sign Whitehall was not “up to speed” was unacceptable.
He said: “Any suggestion Whitehall ‘is not ready’ just won’t do. The job of the civil service is to implement the political will.
“If it can’t what is point of the Cabinet Secretary?”
A Cabinet source said yesterday problems hiring staff for David Davis and Liam Fox’s Brexit and International Trade departments were stalling progress on Britain’s exit from the EU.
But a No10 spokeswoman said Theresa May had been clear delivering Brexit was a “top priority”.
But a No 10 source said last night: “It is full steam ahead.
“The Prime Minister has promised to get the job done. Ministers’ diaries are jam-packed with meetings. There is no slowdown or diversion from that. We are ploughing on as quickly as we can and there is no hold-up. Staff are joining every day.”
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Mr Davis and Mr Fox are spending Parliament’s summer recess hiring staff for their departments.
Mr Fox needs up to 1,000 trade policy experts but has fewer than 100.
Mr Davis will take on up to 250 – but has less than half the staff he needs.
City insiders claimed the French and German elections next year plus departments not being fully staffed would cause delays.
And Tory MEP Daniel Hannan also slammed pro-Remain business leaders insisting Brexit would happen regardless.
Mr Hannan, a key Vote Leave campaigner, said: “There’s some people who I still think fantasise about stringing the whole thing out and making it go away.
“But that is just not going to happen. The process is under way now, the civil servants are working on it. The machinery is whirring.”
His views were echoed by Brexit-backing Tory Eurosceptic Peter Bone who insisted Theresa May would push the process on.
He said: “I’ve absolutely no doubt Theresa May will want this done and dusted as quickly as possible because she doesn’t want this issue she has inherited hanging over her.
“She’ll want to get on with it and I suspect Brexit will happen earlier rather than later.”