Liam Fox demands ‘months’ of transition post-Brexit as Chancellor inists on years-long deal
International Trade Secretary backs transitional deal but only if it's for 'very limited time'
DR LIAM FOX laid out his red lines for Brexit yesterday - warning Theresa May not to enter into a transitional deal that would stop Britain from negotiating new trade deals from April 2019.
The International Trade Secretary has rowed back on his previous opposition to an interim deal, insisting he will back an arrangement that keeps existing trade terms in place to avoid a “cliff edge” for business.
But he made clear he would only back such a transitional deal if it’s “very time limited”.
And he said the terms of any interim deal must allow him to open official trade talks with non-EU countries.
EU member states are barred from negotiating individual trade deals and staying in the customs union would continue to prevent the UK striking new arrangements - making Dr Fox’s job as International Trade Secretary all-but redundant.
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Dr Fox ideally wants the transition period to last “a few months” but Chancellor Philip Hammond contradicted him yesterday.
He said “we’re not talking a couple of months - I think we are going to be talking a couple of years”.
Setting out his red line on post-Brexit trade, Dr Fox said yesterday “I’ve waited a very long time, and campaigned a long time to leave the European Union, as long as we leave in March 2019, then I’m happy, as long as we’ve got a very time limited transitional period, to make it work for business.”
He also hit out at Cabinet colleagues who have briefed against Mr Hammond to undermine his support for a “soft” Brexit. Dr Fox said the sparring was only benefiting the EU.
He said: “The only people smiling at this will be in Berlin and Paris.”