Brexit: ‘Don’t tie PM down’

Efforts to tie Prime Minister Theresa May to a specific form of Brexit are undermining Britain’s chances of negotiating a successful withdrawal from the European Union, chancellor Philip Hammond has warned.

His comments are likely to be seen as a lightly-veiled reproach to international trade secretary Liam Fox, who has made a very public push for a “hard Brexit” solution which would see the UK leave the European single market and customs union.

The chancellor also moved to allay City concerns that Brexit might prevent them recruiting highly-skilled foreign staff, telling the Commons Treasury Committee that addressing the concerns of the financial sector will be “a very high priority” for the government.

While regaining controls

“There’s no secret there’s differences of opinion”

over the migration between the UK and EU was an essential part of Brexit, Mr Hammond said: “I cannot conceive of any circumstance in which we would be using those controls to prevent banks, companies moving highly-qualified, highly-skilled people between different parts of their businesses.

After reports that other ministers see Mr Hammond as a drag on progress towards Brexit, the chancellor told the committee that it was “no secret” there were differences of opinion in the Cabinet.

Philip Hammond