Ministers threaten to walk out of Brexit talks
MINISTERS are ready to walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels continues to play hardball, it was claimed yesterday.
A senior Cabinet source has revealed plans for a “no deal” scenario are well advanced.
The minister added that the UK “will do things better than the EU and compete with them” if we leave without a specific deal in place.
The revelation comes as a string of chief executives from EU countries took part in Brexit discussions at Downing Street yesterday.
The meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May comes amid reports that industry chiefs in Germany are “beginning to panic” that the European Commission’s Brexit tactics will lead to Britain walking away from talks, damaging their biggest export market for cars.
The minister told the Daily Express: “We have taken a polite approach and tried to be as reasonable as possible so far but in the end we have the means to compete and outdo the EU.
“After all we are the world’s fifth largest economy, and speak the language of business.
“Some of us would have liked us to be more up front about this before and shout louder about the fact we are ready to compete but we have taken a reasonable, diplomatic approach and there are good reasons for that.
“We will do things better than the EU and compete with them.
“If they do not let us join their agencies, we are ready to set up our own but make them better and turn them into the international standard.
“That won’t be difficult.”