Punish Britain for Brexit and all Europe will have to pay price, warns Davis
GERMANY would be foolish to put Europe’s economic prosperity at risk by punishing Britain over Brexit, David Davis warned last night.
In a strongly-worded speech in Berlin, the EU Exit Secretary urged Angela Merkel’s government to help end the posturing and deadlock in the stalled negotiations.
He raised concerns that the slow progress over the UK’s future relationship with Brussels risked damaging trade across the continent.
The senior Tory Cabinet minister said: “Putting politics above prosperity is never a smart choice.”
Mr Davis flew to the German capital yesterday in a bid to help kick-start the discussions.
His keynote speech followed growing concern among ministers that Mrs Merkel, the German Chancellor, and French President Emmanuel Macron are becoming the main obstacles to progress in the talks.
Pledged
Both European leaders have been pressing for the British Government to offer billions of pounds more in a Brexit divorce settlement before an EU summit next month can give permission for negotiations on the future trade relationship to begin.
Theresa May is understood to be determined to intensify the Government’s push towards a trade deal with the EU.
Whitehall sources suggested the Prime Minister is preparing to offer an extra £20billion of British taxpayers’ cash on top of £18billion already pledged towards a divorce settlement in a bold attempt to accelerate the talks, although Downing Street officials dismissed the figure as “speculation” yesterday.
Mr Davis sought to inject more dynamism into the talks last night with a warning in Berlin that the wrangling was threatening to have an impact on business across Europe. The EU Exit Secretary said: “There is an urgency to this for all 28 member states, including the UK and Germany, and for our businesses and citizens.”
He implored European leaders to allow the talks to progress so the arrangements for Britain’s expected two-year transition period after March 2019 can be hammered out as quickly as possible.
Mr Davis said: “Without such an implementation period, some of these decisions would need to be taken in the near future on the basis of guesswork. And that is why we want to agree this period as soon as the EU have a mandate to do so.”
He told his audience: “You are not detached observers, you are essential participants.”
Mr Davis emphasised the strong economic links between Britain and Germany that could be put at risk by a punitive tariff regime. He said: “Germany is the UK’s second biggest trading partner, receiving 9 per cent of our exports – and we are your fourth biggest investor.
“Meanwhile, 220,000 Germans work for the 1,200 British companies based here in Germany. That trade creates jobs, it boosts prosperity and it creates wealth not just in Britain, not just in Germany, but right across Europe.
“In the face of those facts I know no one would allow short-term interests to risk those hard-earned gains – because putting politics above prosperity is never a smart choice.”
Earlier, Mr Davis began his speech by taking a swipe at the German press for carrying leaked reports about confidential Brexit discussions.
He joked: “I’m not here tonight to give a blow-by-blow account of the Brexit negotiations. You all know about that from the pages of Suddeutsche Zeitung already.”