The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Hammond praised over call to avoid ‘cliff edge’
Plaudits for th e ch ancellor after keynote speech to the city
Chancellor Philip Hammond has been praised by business leaders and supporters of a “soft Brexit” for emphasising the need to put jobs and prosperity first when negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Mr Hammond also drew plaudits for stressing the importance of transitional arrangements to avoid a “cliff edge” Brexit, including the maintenance of “frictionless” customs union border arrangements for an “implementation period” after leaving the bloc.
In a keynote speech to City leaders at Mansion House, the Chancellor again signalled his soft Brexit credentials by stressing Britain would leave the EU “in a way that prioritises British jobs and underpins Britain’s prosperity”.
Financial services lobby group TheCityUK, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) were among the industry voices who backed the Chancellor’s focus on the economy.
In his address, Mr Hammond said he was not turning a “blind eye” to a “growing tide of hostility” against globalisation and mass immigration.
He added: “Just as the British people understand the benefits of trade, so too they understand how important it is to business to be able to access global talent and to move individuals around their organisations. So while we seek to manage migration, we do not seek to shut it down.”
Mr Hammond insisted the economy must be a priority. He said: “We recognise that this is a negotiation, and our negotiating counterparts, while broadly sharing our desire for a close ongoing relationship, will have their own priorities. “So we must be clear about ours. “I have said before, and I remain clear today, that when the British people voted last June, they did not vote to become poorer, or less secure. “They did vote to leave the EU. “And we will leave the EU. “But it must be done in a way that works for Britain.”
Mr Hammond outlined his three priorities for a “Brexit for Britain” – a comprehensive free trade agreement for goods and services, transitional arrangements “to avoid unnecessary disruption and dangerous cliff edges”, and “frictionless customs arrangements” for cross-border trade and “crucially” to maintain the “open and free-flowing” Irish border.”