Brexit Minister David Davis, ahead of his first address to Parliament yesterday in that role, said he would set out more details on the government’s plan, amid growing worldwide unease over how it will pan out.
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Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May sought to drum up trade deals on Monday for a post-Brexit world as she faced increasing pressure to define what that would look like.
May says she will not invoke Article 50 – the formal procedure for an European Union member state to initiate departure – before the end of this year and the government has given little detail on how it will proceed. There will be new freedoms, new opportunities, new horizons for this great country.
Davis said that Britain is trying to have a “unique” deal with the European Union that can help the country restore sovereignty, reduce immigration and boost trade with the bloc following their split.
“The leaders from India, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore said that they would welcome talks on removing the barriers to trade between our countries”, she said.
“It means getting the best deal for Britain – one that is unique to Britain and not an “off the shelf” solution”.
“We are none the wiser about the government’s plans after David Davis’s statement”.
The minister’s comments came as he and other members of parliaments debated a public petition calling for a second Brexit referendum which has so far attracted more than 4.1 million signatures.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party and a key pro-Brexit campaigner, told the BBC: “What we don’t want is a backslide”.
Since Britain’s 23 June vote to leave the bloc, the government has given little away about its plans for Brexit, focussing instead on preparing for formal negotiations which it has said will not begin before the end of the year.
He also said that cutting numbers would not necessarily mean Britain would have to give up its access to the EU’s lucrative single market – a fear that has muted some investment.
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“Japanese businesses with their European headquarters in the United Kingdom may decide to transfer their head-office function to Continental Europe if EU laws cease to be applicable in the United Kingdom after its withdrawal”, said the 15-page document, published late Friday.
