UK trade minister slams talk of punishment by EU
LONDON — One of the British government’s biggest Brexit cheerleaders has taken aim at those in the European Union he accuses of looking to punish Britain for its decision to leave the bloc as exhibiting gang-like tendencies.
As Brexit talks appear to have hit an impasse particularly over what happens to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told U.K. business leaders Thursday that Brexit can work for all concerned if discussions are focused on economic matters rather than politics.
“The idea of punishing Britain is not the language of a club, it’s the language of a gang,” he said at the annual conference of the British Chambers of Commerce.
“And I do believe that rationality, common sense will win the day if we conduct ourselves with decorum and patience and I think therefore it’s in all our interests to keep the temperature down.”
The EU has consistently said since the June 2016 referendum it’s not looking to punish Britain for its vote and is working to get a deal on the future relationship that works for both sides but which is consistent with its rules.
Chuka Umunna, a prominent lawmaker in the opposition Labour Party who is advocating Britain remaining part of the tariff-free single market and customs union, said Fox’s remarks were nothing more than “playground speak.”
Though Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019, much uncertainty hangs over what happens next and that’s raised fears that tariffs will be slapped on British goods and the key services sector will face wide-ranging restrictions. Discussions over the relationship are set to intensify over the coming months and are earmarked to conclude by the fall to give parliaments time to assess any deal.
Prime Minister Theresa May fleshed out proposals for the post-Brexit relationship in a speech last week. At its core was an aspiration that Britain would stick closely to EU laws and regulations in certain sectors but be able to diverge in others.
That ambition has been dismissed by many in the EU as “cherry-picking.”
Though conceding tariffs would hurt businesses and consumers, Fox dismissed warnings that Britain was facing an “economic black hole” after Brexit.
“There are great prizes for our economy as we leave the EU in this era of globalization if we have the courage to grasp them,” he said.
As a member of the EU, Britain is prevented from negotiating its own trade deals but Fox said his department is working to rollover arrangements the bloc already has with many countries around the world after Brexit.
Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said discussions over future trade deals were “clearly important” but the priority for firms now was getting clarity about the immediate future with the EU after Brexit day.