They want Britain to fail! Fox’s attack on defeatist Remoaners
DIEHARD Remainers in Parliament and the media would ‘rather see Britain fail than see Brexit succeed’, Liam Fox claimed yesterday.
In a thinly veiled swipe at the BBC and the Labour Party, the International Trade Secretary said it was time to ‘get beyond the obsession with criticising Brexit’.
Dr Fox, who began a three-day trade mission to China yesterday, said he had been struck by the contrast between the positive attitude towards Brexit of many abroad and the gloom of those at home who had still not accepted the result of the referendum.
On grassroots Tory website ConservativeHome, he wrote: ‘One of my most frequent, and frustrating, experiences of 2017 was returning from a positive and optimistic international visit only to encounter a wave of negativism at home.
‘The interest being shown in Britain overseas, and an increasing willingness to trade and invest with us, was in stark contrast to the self-defeating pessimism that is too often on show from certain politicians, commentators and media outlets over here. It is easy to get the impression that these people would rather see Britain fail than see Brexit succeed.’
While Dr Fox did not single out any individuals or outlets, his comments were in line with criticism last summer, when he told MPs: ‘I cannot recall a single time in recent times when I have seen good economic news that the BBC didn’t describe as “despite Brexit”.’
The Corporation rejected the claim at the time, insisting it took its duty of impartiality ‘incredibly seriously’ – but, in private, ministers have continued to voice frustration over the BBC’s coverage.
Dr Fox suggested yesterday it was time for ‘a reminder of the good news’ on Brexit as foreign direct investment in the UK had hit ‘the highest level in our history’ last year. He added: ‘Brexit is not a timebomb to be defused, but a great opportunity to be embraced.
‘We need to get beyond the obsession with criticising Brexit, lift our horizons, and be out there.’
Dr Fox also underlined the trade opportunities that could open up as a result of leaving the EU. He said: ‘It is worth remembering that the EU does not have free trade agreements with the US, China, India or the Gulf states, and though we are not able to negotiate new trade agreements while we remain within the EU, we have established 14 trade working groups across 21 countries, to help us prepare for Brexit.’
Dr Fox’s comments came as it emerged his department had held preliminary talks about joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade group. The TPP has 11 members, including Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico. If successful, the UK would be the only member to not border the Pacific.
Trade minister Greg Hands last night told the Financial Times that geography was not a barrier to Britain joining the fledgling trade body.
‘Nothing is excluded in all of this,’
‘It’s not a time bomb to be defused’
he said. ‘With these kind of plurilateral relationships, there doesn’t have to be any geographical restriction.’
The UK cannot start formal talks until it has left the EU – and may not be able to begin until after a two- year transition. Officials warned it was ‘way too soon’ to say whether the UK would join.
The TPP, which accounts for about 8 per cent of UK exports, suffered a major blow last year when Donald Trump announced he was pulling the US out of the group.