Liam Fox blasts ex-EU adviser Sir Martin Donnelly’s ‘crisps’ jibe at Government’s Brexit trade deal plans
A FRESH Whitehall war between Brexit ministers and the civil service has exploded after Liam Fox questioned his former top mandarin’s loyalty to Britain.
The slap-down came after ex-EU adviser Sir Martin Donnelly savaged government trade deal plans ahead of a major speech by the International Trade Secretary.
The retired civil-servant compared it to “giving up a three-course meal for the promise of a packet of crisps in the future." Trading public barbs, Dr Fox hit back to say things were a “more complex than a packet of Walkers”.
And referencing Sir Martin’s early career based in Brussels, he hit out: "It’s unsurprising that those who spent a lifetime working within the European Union would see moving away from the European Union as being threatening.”
The surprise attack from Sir Martin - who quit the Trade department last year - came just two weeks after the last row between Ministers and Whitehall over claims civil servants want to frustrate Brexit.
Sparking new accusations of sabotage, the former Department for Trade Permanent Secretary also said the the UK would need "a fairy godmother" to get the EU deal it is seeking.
The top former civil servant who is now a lobbyist with at ex-Remain spin chief Sir Craig Oliver’s firm, told the BBC: "You just have to look at the arithmetic - it doesn't add up I'm afraid."
But at his speech three hours later Mr Fox raged: "Neither Sir Martin, with all due respect, nor anyone else has seen the full details of what was agreed at Cabinet last week at Chequers.
"And the Prime Minister sets those out on Friday; I think people will find that what we need is a hard-headed leader, not a fairy godmother."
Mr Fox led a wave of condemnation for the extraordinary public outburst, with Boris Johnson hitting back to say he disagreed "very strongly" with Sir Martin.
And the Foreign Secretary also hinted at Sir Martin’s split loyalties due to years of service at “the Brussels commission", arguing that there is an "insatiable" market for UK services outside the EU.
A furious government source branded Sir Martin an “Establishment third rater and one of the least talented Permanent Secretaries of recent years.
Tory MP Marcus Fysh questioned the timing of Sir Martin’s intervention - just hours before Mr Fox’s speech - the latest in the Government’s Road to Brexit series.
He told The Sun he “would be surprised if it was not manufactured”.
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In his speech at Bloomberg HQ in Central London, Dr Fox argued Britain must not give up the chance to forge new trade deals with other countries around the world, savaging Jeremy Corbyn’s call for the UK to stay in the EU’s Customs Union.
The speech has been greeted with a mixed reaction from the business community.
The Federation of Smalls Businesses backed his call “The UK small business community sees the potential wins of an independent UK global trade policy.
“While we want trade kept as easy as possible with the EU27, small businesses are pushing to export to new growth areas - the US, English-speaking nations, emerging economies and the Commonwealth.”
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