Liam Fox warns Theresa May extending EU negotiations is a ‘complete betrayal’ of Brexit and we should leave with no deal rather than stay in longer
LIAM Fox has warned Theresa May that extending the EU negotiations would be a “complete betrayal” of Brexit voters.
The International Trade Secretary said the Prime Minister should be willing to leave the talks without a deal rather than stay in the bloc for longer.
He said the “public already wonders why it's going to take more than four years” for us to leave, so dragging out our exit from Brussels rule further must not be an option.
Mr Fox’s intervention is crucial for Mrs May as he is one of the only leading Brexiteers to remain loyal and endorse her Chequers plan for a softer Brexit.
His support is key to keeping her Cabinet and the Tory party together after David Davis and Boris Johnson’s resignations over her white paper proposals.
The minister said if she cannot get a deal done by March 2019, when the Article 50 withdrawal period finishes, we should simply crash out than keeping going.
He told Business Insider: “The public have told us, it wasn't a consultation, to leave the European Union.
“And the public already wonders why it's going to take more than four years after the referendum for us to fully remove ourselves from the EU.
"To attempt to extend our membership even longer, many voters would regard as a complete betrayal by the political class, and I think they would be right."
Mr Fox also accused the EU of putting "political ideology" ahead of its citizens' economic well-being after Michel Barnier tore up Mrs May's proposed customs solution.
He said: "They [the EU] simply don't want to make this particular method [May's customs proposal] work.
"So it's clear that it is possible, but it requires political will to do so.
“The question will be whether the EU 27 leaders are willing to see the Commission's political ideology put ahead of the economic well-being of the people of Europe."
Adding: "What the Commission seems to be saying is look, there has to be Brexit on their terms, or no deal at all.
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"Now, that may be in line with their own theological attachment to ever-closer union and EU treaties.
“But it may have a large cost to EU member states, the member states who require jobs, prosperity, and trade, because they need to get elected, unlike the Commission officials."
Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs, agreed with his position, tweeting: "Liam Fox is right, extending Article 50 is the definition of failure for the Government."
