Cheer up about Brexit, you whingeing Pommies!

Australia tells UK: We blazed a trail on trade, so you can too!

AUSTRALIA has shown how Britain could sign new trade deals without accepting freedom of movement, the country’s High Commissioner to the UK said yesterday.

Alexander Downer said Britain was ‘a bit gloomy’ about Brexit and should be ‘cautiously optimistic’ about its prospects after leaving the EU.

The senior diplomat urged the UK to be positive about forging a new free trade deal with the EU.

In a boost to the UK Government’s position, he said his country’s experience shows that Britain can create a successful economic system post-Brexit.

Asked about Britain’s approach to leaving the European Union, Mr Downer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think you are a bit gloomy.

‘Of course this is a big transition that you’re going through and there’s much contention about the negotiations, which are negotiations. But our experience of major changes like this, and we had such a major change as the Commonwealth preference system was phased out and eventually Britain joined the European Union in 1973, that you are going to succeed depending on what policies you pursue subsequently.’

Mr Downer said it was possible for the UK to conclude negotiations with the EU successfully.

‘You have a motive to conclude a successful negotiation, so does the EU. So prima facie you have some basis for being cautiously optimistic that an agreement ultimately can be reached,’ he said.

‘ It’ll involve compromises though, so both sides won’t get exactly what they want.’

He also said Australia’s experience showed it was possible to do new trade deals without accepting free movement of people.

‘As outsiders we’re very anxious that both the EU and you do reach an agreement. Not just the UK of course, the onus is on the EU as well to make sure you don’t erect barriers. But secondly, it seems to us from our own experience that if you in addition, not instead of, but in addition to that, go out and negotiate trade arrangements with other parts of the world, you can make your approach more global and less regional than it might otherwise be.’ Debate about the shape of the UK’s future deal with the EU continued with leading Leave campaigner Owen Paterson saying reports that Britain could pay a £36billion ‘divorce bill’ were ‘frankly barmy’.

The Conservative former environment secretary said he would be ‘most surprised’ if the UK ended up paying the EU tens of billions of pounds.

He said: ‘Those sound to me frankly barmy figures, considering we have been massive net contributors to this organisation.

‘There is a very good case that they could give us some of our money back,’ he added.

Earlier this week former chancellor George Osborne was accused by his ex-chief of staff of being ‘too gloomy’. Rupert Harrison criticised the pessimism of his ex-boss, who has repeatedly criticised the Government’s approach to talks with the EU in the London Evening Standard, which he edits.

He tweeted: ‘My old boss [is] part of the consensus that is too gloomy on Brexit progress. Once dust settles we will see outlines of UK position are pretty clear.’