The British Government’s leading Remainer, Philip Hammond, is thought to have triumphed over his Leave-supporting rivals in Cabinet, with the UK set to agree to a transitional Brexit which will allow the EU to block new UK trade deals.
Brexit secretary David Davis is expected to announce plans for a “temporary customs union” with the EU, which will last for three years after Britain’s formal departure in 2019, The Times reports.
This would allow tariff-free trade with the bloc to continue as it does now, but is likely to preclude new trade agreements with countries beyond Europe and possibly scupper any serious changes to the Brussels-imposed regulatory regime.
Such an arrangement would be a heavy blow to International Trade Secretary Dr. Liam Fox, the Cabinet’s most committed Brexit supporter. He may still be able to negotiate trade agreements to come into force at the end of the transition period, but the timescale puts key deals in serious jeopardy.
For example, whilst U.S. President Donald Trump has been an enthusiastic supporter of Brexit and pledged a “very big, very powerful” Anglo-American trade pact, the bulk of the U.S. political establishment — as exemplified by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — was hostile to Brexit, pledging to put Britain to “the back of the queue” for a trade deal in a show of solidarity with fellow globalists in Brussels.
The proposed transition agreement pushes such a deal well beyond the end of President Trump’s current term of office, moving it down the list of the administration’s priorities and leaving open the possibility that a new, globalist-minded administration could undo any provisional agreement.
Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage has not minced his words on the news, reminding his social media following that he “warned of a great Brexit betrayal two weeks ago”, before declaring that such a betrayal now seems to be “official government policy”.
Hammond’s apparent victory over Dr. Fox comes just days after the chancellor of the exchequer had appeared to throw in the towel, putting his name to a joint article with the trade secretary in which a Clean Brexit from the Customs Union, the Single Market and its associated Free Movement immigration regime was promised.
Breitbart London reported Monday that Government insiders did not expect this truce to last, however, with claims that ‘Remainer Phil’ holds his Brexiteer rival “in contempt”.
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