In a 15-page report published on the eve of a summit of the Group of 20 big economies in China, a Japanese government task force formed to respond to “Brexit” also warned of a possible outflow of drug research and development investment from Britain, though it said it expected the British government to handle its exit from the bloc smoothly.
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During Monday’s debate, David Davis, Britain’s newly appointed Brexit minister, made it clear that the United Kingdom is leaving the EU.
He said the United Kingdom will also seek to “act in good faith” towards European Union countries and his Brexit department now has more than 180 staff in London plus “expertise” from more than 120 officials in Brussels.
After counter-claims at Mrs May’s announcement that “Brexit means Brexit”, Mr David defined the term at the start of his address, saying: “Simply it means leaving the European Union”. We will decide on our borders, our laws, and taxpayers’ money.
However, Eurosceptic MPs are concerned that the government might strike a deal where European Union migrants get preferential access to the United Kingdom in return for Britain being in the tariff-free single market. “This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe – but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade in goods and services”. The comments offer the first glimpse of Mrs May’s stance on the hardest question thrown up by the referendum: how to tighten border controls with the European Union without losing access to its single market.
Davis added: “Brexit is not about making the best of a bad job”. It is about seizing a huge and exciting opportunity that will flow from a new place for Britain in the world.
“We have already been engaged in discussions with you about what the free trade agreements may look like after that”. She added, however, that British voters only want an “element” of control over the free movement of European Union migrants.
“We want to make sure our regulatory environment helps rather than hinders workers, control numbers and encourages brightest and best to come to this country”. “It is about starting a new one”, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
“Not many believe a second referendum is likely, but they want Britain to keep close ties with Europe”. David Davis gave the assurances during two hours of questions in the House of Commons about how Britain will negotiate its departure from the EU.
Britain’s exit from the European Union presents both a considerable challenge and an exciting opportunity, said the United Kingdom minister overseeing the process of leaving, adding that the government will take the time needed to get it right.
“We heard that we were going to hear what the Government’s strategy for Brexit was, but what we’ve heard instead hasn’t been a strategy, it hasn’t been a thought out plan, it’s just been more empty platitudes”.
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Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, regularly expressed support for a points-based system during the referendum campaign as did Liam Fox, the global trade secretary, Priti Patel, the worldwide development secretary, Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, and Andrea Leadsom, the environment secretary.
