Prime Minister has ‘open mind’ on EU trade
THERESA May has said that Britain needs to build an entirely new type of trading relationship with the EU as she vowed to respond to voters’ concerns about immigration.
Speaking at a press conference in Rome she said she had an “open mind” about future trading relationships, adding that Britain should “develop the model that suits the UK and the EU”.
Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, wants Britain to pull out of the EU’s customs union, which sets tariffs on goods traded with non-EU countries. Leaving the union would give Britain greater freedom to negotiate new trade deals but could also bring higher tariffs and more red tape for businesses exporting to the EU.
Asked whether the rights of Italians living in Britain could be protected, Mrs May said: “I want to be able to guarantee their rights in the UK. I expect to be able to do that and I intend to be able to do that … The only circumstances in which that would not be possible would be if the rights of British citizens living in other EU member states were not guaranteed.”
She also revealed that she has begun preparations for Britain’s “orderly departure” from the EU.
The Prime Minister insisted that Britain would maintain close economic links following Brexit, after meeting Matteo Renzi, her Italian counterpart. Mr Renzi conceded the UK’s exit would be “painful” but added that Italy would do “its utmost to collaborate and support the process” of negotiations.
Italy’s prime minister said the negotiations must be as “efficient as possible” and called for a timeline to be set out. “It’s in everybody’s interest to succeed in the end,” he said.
Mrs May said she had chaired the first meeting of a Cabinet committee on exiting the EU to “prepare and plan for an orderly departure”.
‘Italy will do its utmost to support the negotiations … It’s in everybody’s interests to succeed in the end’