Davis: I’ll defy EU ‘thunder’ to get best terms for Brexit
DAVID Davis yesterday vowed to fight through “thunder and lightning” to achieve success in the next round of Brussels negotiations.
The EU Exit Secretary predicted that an agreement can be achieved by October.
But he admitted the wrangle would not be “straightforward” and vowed to fight Brussels’ attempts to “cherry pick” which sectors of the economy will be able to get full access to EU markets.
His comments were being seen in Brussels as a challenge to chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier’s repeated claims that a final Brexit deal cannot include financial services.
Mr Davis yesterday set out his expectations for the resumption of Brexit talks later this month.
It came ahead of a major speech he is due to deliver next week detailing the Government’s objectives in the talks.
The Tory Cabinet minister said: “The negotiations about the future will not be very straightforward,” .
“They will generate the same public thunder and lightning we have seen in the past year. But I believe they will be successful because the future of the Europe continent is best served by strong and successful relationships.”
His fellow Cabinet Minister Dr Liam Fox last night turned his fire on enemies of Brexit at home.
The International Trade Secretary spoke of his frustration at the “selfdefeating pessimism” of some Remain supporters, saying: “It is easy to get the impression that these people change because we are leaving the European Union. Given the strength and depth of our links, a deal which took in some areas of our economic relationship but not others would be, in the favoured phrase of EU diplomats, cherry picking.”
Mr Davis insisted that “with enough determination and flexibility, a successful outcome can be found”.
Last month, Mr Barnier claimed there was “no place” for financial services in a Brexit trade deal and warned that the UK would have to accept some restrictions to the sector as the price for voting to quit the EU.
But Mr Davis insisted he optimistic about the talks.
He wrote: “Just as many wrongly predicted that the exit negotiations would not move on by this point, so there are many reasons to be optimistic about the direction of the future trade talks.
“I understand when people say that the first responsibility for proposing solutions to Brexit’s conundrums lies on the British side.
“But that does not mean that the process should be all one way.” was