Liam Fox insists we WILL cut migration when we leave the EU, despite Chancellor’s claim that the borders will stay open
The International Trade Secretary said that allowing EU citizens to settle would 'not keep faith' with Brexit voters
LIAM FOX has stoked a new row over Brexit by warning that mass migration from Europe must end as soon as we leave the EU.
The International Trade Secretary denied claims that the Cabinet has already agreed to maintain free movement of EU citizens until as late as 2022.
He said that failure to curb migration immediately from 2019 - when we officially quit the bloc - would "not keep faith" with the referendum result.
Dr Fox's comments come two days after Philip Hammond said Europeans would be able to settle in Britain during a post-Brexit transition period lasting up to three years.
The Chancellor insisted his position was supported by the whole Cabinet - but Dr Fox, who was been in the US this week, denied holding talks on the policy.
He : "We made it clear that control of our own borders was one of the elements we wanted in the referendum, and unregulated free movement would seem to me not to keep faith with that decision."
Asked whether the Cabinet had agreed to free movement during a transition, he replied: "If there have been discussions on that I have not been party to them.
"I have not been involved in any discussions on that, nor have I signified my agreement to anything like that.
"I am very happy to discuss whatever transitional arrangements and whatever implementation agreement we might want, but that has to be an agreement by the Cabinet.
"It can't just be made by an individual or any group within the Cabinet."
His remarks expose a serious Cabinet rift pitting pro-EU ministers against avid Brexit supporters in a battle over the terms of our departure.
Mr Hammond is apparently taking advantage of the absence of Theresa May and several eurosceptic ministers, who are on holiday or working trips abroad.
The Chancellor was last night ridiculed by a key ally of Boris Johnson, economist Gerard Lyons, for his efforts to push a softer Brexit.
Mr Lyons compared his "alarmist talk" to the overblown hype over the Millennium Bug.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
And former Brexit Minister David Jones told The Sun that a transition deal could be no more than two years, or the Tories would risk losing the next election.
On Friday, Mr Hammond insisted there was "broad acceptance" in Cabinet of a post-Brexit transition lasting up to three years.
He said this would mean "many arrangements remaining very similar to how they were the day before we exited the European Union".
And he added that EU citizens would be welcome to settle here up until 20122, as long as they have a job - limiting the Government's ability to cut migration.