Fox: UK doesn’t need EU trade deal

The UK “can of course survive” without securing a trade deal with the European Union after Brexit, Cabinet minister Liam Fox has said.

The International Trade Secretary said that while the government wanted a deal, Brussels had to know that the UK would be prepared to walk away at the end of talks without an agreement.

Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly stated that her approach to Brexit was “no deal is better than a bad deal” and Dr Fox said yesterday it was important that the EU recognised that resolve.

“We don’t want to have no deal,” he said. “It is much better that we have a deal than no deal. We can of course survive with no deal and we have to go into a negotiation with those on the other side knowing that’s what we think.

“But of course we want to come to a full and comprehensive deal with the European Union.”

Dr Fox was using a visit to Geneva to meet World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Roberto Azevedo and to deliver a speech pushing for a rejection of protectionism.

He said methods other than free trade agreements could be used to liberalise global trade and the UK would use its seat on the WTO after Brexit to “shape the debate”.