Post by Admin on Jun 25, 2017 10:01:10 GMT
Davis admits Britain may leave EU with no deal
David Davis has said he is not certain the UK will secure a withdrawal deal with the EU.
The Brexit Secretary's comments come after Chancellor Philip Hammond said that no deal would be "very, very bad" for the UK.
While Mr Davis said he was "pretty sure" an agreement could be struck, he left the door open to leaving the bloc without one.
Asked if he was sure there would be a deal cut, Mr Davis told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm pretty sure, I am not 100% sure, you can never be, it's a negotiation.
"I'm sure there will be a deal, whether it's the deal I want, which is a free trade agreement, the customs agreement, and so on, I'm pretty sure, but I'm not certain."
Mr Davis said it was part of his role to plan for a bad outcome.
He said: ""Half my job is the invisible job of actually planning for all outcomes, the good, the bad, the whole range."
Asked if he agreed with the Chancellor that no deal would be very, very bad, Mr Davis said: "It would be better than a punishment deal.
"'I'm being very clear about this. In my job I don't think out loud, I don't make guesses. I try to make decisions, you make those based on the data."
Mr Davis said Britain would need transitional trade arrangements with the EU for a time after Brexit.
He said: "We think that there will be a transitional period, not that long. I think one to two years is more likely. It will vary. This is something incredibly practical."
itv.com
The Brexit Secretary's comments come after Chancellor Philip Hammond said that no deal would be "very, very bad" for the UK.
While Mr Davis said he was "pretty sure" an agreement could be struck, he left the door open to leaving the bloc without one.
Asked if he was sure there would be a deal cut, Mr Davis told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm pretty sure, I am not 100% sure, you can never be, it's a negotiation.
"I'm sure there will be a deal, whether it's the deal I want, which is a free trade agreement, the customs agreement, and so on, I'm pretty sure, but I'm not certain."
Mr Davis said it was part of his role to plan for a bad outcome.
He said: ""Half my job is the invisible job of actually planning for all outcomes, the good, the bad, the whole range."
Asked if he agreed with the Chancellor that no deal would be very, very bad, Mr Davis said: "It would be better than a punishment deal.
"'I'm being very clear about this. In my job I don't think out loud, I don't make guesses. I try to make decisions, you make those based on the data."
Mr Davis said Britain would need transitional trade arrangements with the EU for a time after Brexit.
He said: "We think that there will be a transitional period, not that long. I think one to two years is more likely. It will vary. This is something incredibly practical."
itv.com