Brexit? We’re screwed!
RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has rubbished Government claims it will secure favourable trade deals post-Brexit, insisting the UK will be “screwed” in negotiations.
The outspoken Remain campaigner said most of the Cabinet didn’t have a clue what Brexit will look like, and described predictions of positive agreements as “arrogant nonsense”.
“I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that’s what happens in trade talks,” he said.
“They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade.”
Expressing concern about the economic impact of Brexit during a press event in Belfast, Mr O’Leary also poured scorn on hopes of achieving good trading terms with the remaining EU states.
“Nobody in the airline industry knows what the outcome of Brexit is, which puts us in exactly the same situation as most of the cabinet of the Government of the UK, since they haven’t a clue either,” he said.
The high-profile entrepreneur added: “The European Union is not going to make it easy for the UK. All this kind of arrogant nonsense in London – ‘we’re the fifth biggest economy in the world, they’ll give a good deal’.
“They won’t. The European countries are paranoid about being seen to be tough on the UK, because if they are not tough on the UK, the right-wing parties in most of those countries – in Germany, in France, in Holland – will be next.
“Why would you be a member of the European Union if you can have control over your borders?
“So if the UK gets a good deal, the EU breaks up, and they care less about the UK than they do about keeping the EU together.”
Mr O’Leary said Ryanair intended to pivot business away from the UK in the next 18 months.