Jeremy Corbyn’s plans to tie us to Brussels would shackle Britain’s growth as the EU can’t keep up with global change, Liam Fox says
The Trade Secretary took aim at the Labour leader, saying under his plans we would be unable to embrace booming global markets around the world - from the US to Australia
JEREMY Corbyn would "sell out" Britain and leave us worse off by tying us to the EU's rules, Liam Fox has said.
In a keynote speech this morning, the Trade Secretary lashed out at the Labour leader for insisting we must still be a "rule-taker"; after Brexit.
Dr Fox said that the EU had been "unable to keep pace" with global change - and booming global markets were just waiting to trade with us after Brexit.
He revealed that his officials had travelled all over the world to start setting up deals ready for when we leave - and had opened up talks with 14 nations.
Staying near to the EU "might seem like an easy option", Fox added, but insisted: "We can't allow our future to be determined by our past."
"Confidence, optimism and vision will always deliver more than pessimism and self doubt," he vowed.
Laying down the gauntlet to Tory rebels and business leaders who have demanded we stay in a Customs Union, Mr Fox warned that Labour's new policy would leave Britain "trying to negotiate with one arm tied behind our back".
Ministers are desperately trying to persuade Tory backbenchers not to back a rebel motion which will keep the UK in a form of Customs Union and break the party's election promises.
Dr Fox, one of the Cabinet's leading Brexiteers, said today that Mr Corbyn was "clueless and incompetent" and said Britain needed a "hard-headed leader, not a fairy godmother".
"As rule takers, without any say in how the rules were made, we would be in a worse position than we are today," he stormed.
"In a Customs Union we would be forced to allow goods into our market tariff-free with no guarantees that we could sell into their markets tariff-free.
"It would be a complete sell-out of Britain's national interests.
He went on: "I want to think beyond where we are today, to the opportunities of the future. We cannot afford to be bound by the practises and patterns of the past."
He vowed to set Britain up with a series of multi-lateral alliances, and expand our diplomatic net work with trade envoys all over the world.
Dr Fox also said today:
- Britain could slash its £12billion aid budget to developing countries if it was able to help struggling nations trade their way out of poverty
- Brussels would continue to over-rule us if we stayed in a form of union with the bloc
- We must look further than the EU because most global growth will come from outside the bloc in the next 15 years
- Our trade policy provides ordinary Brits with more choice, food in supermarkets all year around and slashed prices in electronics and clothes
- Britain has the chance to become a world leader in services and digital trade - with many of these markets not tapped into globally yet
Yesterday Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he would fight to keep Britain in a Customs Union - and insisted we should continue to pay millions to Brussels to stay a part of EU institutions.
Ministers have said it's not going to happen.
But Leave-backing Labour voters reacted with fury at his announcement that he would throw away the chance to do trade deals with every other country around the world.
And he ruled out jumbo trade deals with the US and China yesterday - saying it would drag Britain into a "race to the bottom".
Theresa May will make her key Brexit speech on Friday, after ministers thrashed out key compromises during a Chequers away-day last week.
And even before Mr Fox got up to speak today, his strategy was furiously attacked by his former top official.
Sir Martin Donnelly was permanent secretary in the Trade Department until last he quit last March - and has now insisted that trade deals done outside of the EU wouldn't make up for trade inside it.
He said today that it was "rather like rejecting a three course meal now in favour of the promise of a packet of crisps later".
The official will give more scathing remarks in a speech tomorrow, but Mr Fox slapped him down today, saying the issues were "more complex than a packet of Walkers".
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EU boss Michel Barnier also warned today there were still "a lot of points of disagreement" over the transition period - and he wanted to meet with David Davis to discuss them "straight away".
Britain hopes to secure a deal by the end of March on a period of up to two years - when we will abide by the EU's rules.
Mr Barnier also slapped down British plans too, saying he agreed with comments from Donald Tusk last week that they were "based on pure illusion".
He said today: "We can't possibly imagine a situation in which we would accept cherry-picking.
"The UK knows what the rules are."