Fox tells EU: Give us trade deal and control of borders
BRUSSELS has a moral duty to agree a free trade deal with Britain after Brexit, Cabinet minister Liam Fox declared yesterday.
Speaking to the World Trade Organisation, the International Trade Secretary warned that attempts by the EU to slap tariffs on UK goods and services would be an unethical attack on living standards across Europe.
And he insisted that Brussels must accept the demands of British voters for regaining control over its borders.
“The decision of the British people to leave the EU is not symptomatic of looking inwards but a people who want to take more control over our laws, our money and our borders,” the senior Tory said.
Dr Fox used his speech to the global trade body in Geneva to sketch out a new role for Britain outside the EU as a champion of free trade.
“I believe as much in the moral case for free trade as I do in its economic benefits,” he said. His remarks are likely to be seen that he is pressing within the Cabinet for a deal with Brussels that maximises trade opportunities while pulling Britain out of the EU’s free movement rules.
“We are a proud and outward-looking trading nation,” Dr Fox said. “We want Europe to succeed and be a vibrant partner in global affairs, economics and security.
“But in the era of globalisation we want to be free to help shape an even more transparent, more open and more liberal trading environment – an environment that not only brings success to businesses large and small alike, but also stability to our societies and prosperity to our citizens. I think that’s a future worth fighting for.”
Dr Fox insisted that attempts to curb free trade such as slapping tariffs on imports were a blow to freedom and prosperity.
“People should be able to exchange their hard work for goods at mutually agreed prices – without the shackles of artificial barriers being placed on them by governments or market distorting practices such as dumping, export subsidies or state aid. Trade should be fair as well as free,” he said. The EU would harm itself by trying to block trade with Britain after Brexit, Dr Fox added.
“The glorious thing about free trade is that if the conditions are in place to allow it to flourish, no one needs to lose out. We all can benefit in the long run.”
He told the WTO: “The message I want to leave you with today is that, at the multilateral level, you will have no greater champion than the UK in the push towards further trade liberalisation. We will lead the charge for a fair and rule-based system for global trade and investment. We have a history as a great trading nation and as we forge a new global role for ourselves we will carry the banner for free trade.
“It’s an area I am passionate about because the benefits are clear. Free trade puts the consumer first by forcing businesses to compete and countries to specialise. It leads to higher efficiency, greater productivity as well as better quality and cheaper goods.”
Dr Fox faced criticism from campaigners for Britain to stay in the EU’s single market and remain signed up to free movement rules. Labour MP Pat McFadden, of the “soft” Brexit pressure group Open Britain, claimed the speech was “pathetically vague”.
Meanwhile, former Tory Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith appealed to Theresa May not to retreat from a full breach with Brussels.
He said: “After all, the British people voted to take back control of their borders, their money and their laws – that seems pretty mainstream to me.”
‘We have a history as a great trading nation... we will carry the banner for free trade’ LIAM FOX
LIAM FOX was right yesterday to hail the importance of international trade. It was Britain’s willingness to sail the seas seeking out new opportunities that made this nation great and after Brexit we will require the same spirit of enterprise in order to safeguard our future prosperity.
Free from the shackles of Brussels we will no longer have our fortunes tied to the stagnating economies of Europe. Nations from every corner of the globe are already queueing up to do trade deals.
Too many doom-mongers still see Brexit as a challenge to be overcome. In reality it is an opportunity to be seized.