'Sensible deal or no deal!' Former Brexit minister issues stark warning to European Union
THE United Kingdom should revert to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules unless the European Union agrees on a "sensible deal", former Brexit minister David Jones said.
The former minister for Brexit said the Government should consider reverting to WTO terms unless it reaches a "sensible" free trade agreement with the EU.
Mr Jones told BBC News: "I think that if we can’t get a sensible free trade agreement – which is essentially what we’ve been advocating for some considerable time – and indeed is the Government’s own policy then we have to consider the other option.
"That is of course trading on World Trade Organisation terms."
GETTY/BBC
Mr Jones and other Tory backbenchers and peers penned a letter to urge Theresa May to walk away from the Brexit negotiating table unless the EU is "prepared to talk to us seriously about a future trade arrangement".
The group of Brexiteers – which includes Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lord Lawson and John Redwood – said Mrs May should demand a free trade agreement without tariffs by March 2018.
They also demanded the European Union grants the United Kindom the freedom to freely negotiate, sign and implement free trade deals inside the two-year transitional period when Britain leaves the EU.
The letter read: "If the EU refuses to agree to these terms by the end of the December council, the UK – having exhausted every avenue – should suspend its participation in the negotiations and inform the EU that, unless they are prepared to talk to us seriously about a future free trade arrangement, we will revert to World Trade Organisation terms from March 30, 2019."
Mrs May had been hoping to seal the terms of the Brexit divorce deal from Brussels but she was forced to admit "a couple of issues" are yet to be agreed with the bloc.
The Prime Minister is expected to return to Brussels on Wednesday to try to thrash out a deal so that talks can move on to trade when UK and EU officials meet at the last 2017 EU Summit on December 14.
Despite so far failing to negotiate the deadlock, both Mrs May and EU Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker said they are confident of securing a deal within days.
EU Council President Donald Tusk said an agreement ahead of the summit is still possible despite the lack of agreement between Mrs May and Mr Juncker.
He wrote on Twitter: "Met with PM @theresa_may. I was ready to present draft EU27 guidelines tomorrow for #Brexit talks on transition and future. But UK and Commission asked for more time. It is now getting very tight but agreement at December #EUCO is still possible."
