Boris and Gove can ‘go whistle’ on trade

BORIS Johnson and Michael Gove have been warned by Brussels that their dream of breaking free from European laws and then securing a favourable trade deal with the European Union is going to be dashed by negotiators.

Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson and Environment Secretary Mr Gove used a secret letter to the Prime Minister to argue for a ‘Singapore-style’ future for the UK, in which taxes and red tape are cut to attract investment.

But last night, a senior source close to the EU’s negotiating team told The Mail on Sunday that the Brexiteers would have to ‘choose and choose quickly’ between cutting all regulation and having a trade deal.

‘ Unless you are North Korea, there is no such thing as absolute sovereignty in the modern world,’ the source said. ‘Mr Gove and Mr Johnson can go whistle if they think they will be able to deregulate the UK and have a trade deal with the EU after Brexit.’

The source pointed to votes last week in the European Parliament, which will have a veto on the final Brexit deal.

MEPs were overwhelmingly in favour of demanding that the UK must adhere to EU policies on tax, competition, the environment and workers’ rights as a condition of any trade deal.

Ukip MEP Nathan Gill said: ‘It is quite clear that the vast majority of UK MEPs are not representing the vast majority of their voters but are instead siding with federalist Europhiles who seem to think Brexit is about making the UK a colony of the EU.’