Sack the 4 envoys who hate Brexit, IDS tells Theresa

THERESA May was last night urged to sack four British trade envoys who have spoken out against Brexit.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it was ‘absurd’ for those who were ‘viscerally opposed to Brexit’ to represent the UK during trade negotiations.

David Cameron appointed a crossparty network of 20 ‘trade envoys’ in 2012 to represent the UK in emerging markets around the world.

But four of them are battling to keep Britain in the EU, even though this would make it much harder to strike trade deals around the world.

Labour MP Rushanara Ali, Labour peer Lord Faulkner of Worcester and the Liberal Democrat peers Baroness Northover and Baroness Bonham-Carter all voted this year to frustrate the Article 50 legislation which paved the way for Britain’s exit from the EU in March 2019.

Mr Duncan Smith said the views of individual trade commissioners had been less important before Brexit when the UK was not free to forge its own trade deals.

But he said those who saw no future for the UK outside the EU should now be asked to go, adding: ‘It is quite absurd that at the moment the UK leaves the EU and starts to make new free trade deals, we should have as our trade representatives people who are viscerally opposed to Brexit.

‘It is quite unacceptable and high time we appointed new people who believe that what we are doing is positive and full of new opportunity. We should act immediately – we haven’t a moment to lose.’

One minister told the Brexit Central website there were also concerns within government about the views of the quartet. ‘It’s a critical time and all those representing the Government abroad ought to be putting on a united front,’ the minister said.

‘It’s breathtaking that some of these envoys are supposedly promoting UK plc abroad while talking down our country at home. These double standards could damage our prospects and I know that others inside the Government feel the same way.’

Miss Ali, trade envoy to Bangladesh, voted against the Article 50 legislation, saying that leaving the single market and customs union would be ‘devastating to our economy’.

Baroness Northover, trade envoy to Angola, backed a wrecking amendment to the legislation, which would have forced the Government to hold a second referendum. She has described Brexit as a ‘long and dangerous journey’ and referred to Leavers as ‘voices of little England’.

Baroness Bonham-Carter, trade envoy to Mexico, also backed wrecking amendments to the legislation. She has warned Brexit will hurt the creative industries. Lord Faulkner, trade envoy to Taiwan, was one of 33 Labour peers who voted against the legislation.

The trade envoy network was set up to promote the UK to emerging markets and ‘support the drive for economic growth by on the UK’s existing relations with these markets and maximising bilateral trade’.

Government sources last night said there were no plans to remove anti-Brexit envoys.

A spokesman said: ‘The voluntary roles are appointed by the Prime Minister and all envoys bring a wealth of experience to help support British businesses in growing and succeeding internationally.’

None of the four envoys could be contacted yesterday.