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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Andy Philip

Boris Johnson's Brexit chaos will lead to 'economic war' with Europe and America if deal not salvaged

Boris Johnson has been accused of pushing Britain to the brink of an 'economic war' with Europe and the US as Brexit talks go to the wire.

The Tory leader is holding last minute talks with EU counterparts more than four years after the British public was told it would be "easy".

Now, all the warnings about the cost to business, freedoms and the economy are being thrown back at the PM.

In a grim round of TV interviews, Tory environment minister George Eustice was left to admit what will happen if Britain leaves without a post-Brexit trade deal.

Eustice was unable to say if he'd be able to keep promises made to the fishing industry and farmers, and he noted there will be an "impact" on food prices.

The EU, Scottish and UK flags fly outside the Scottish Parliament (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

Fishing is a major stumbling block and is a vital part of the talks for Scotland’s future.

Eustice told the BBC he can't "wire in" continued EU access.

And he attempted to downplay the impact of up to 20% more tariffs on exports.

He also admitted holidaymakers will need a certificate to take a pet dog, adding it "won't be as easy" as before.

Without a UK-EU agreement, a certificate will probably have to be obtained for driving abroad, he added.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown led criticism of the Tory Brexit shambles.

Former PM Gordon Brown (Andy Commins)

Warning of "huge international implications" if no agreement is reached, Brown said: "We would be in an economic war with Europe that would cost us very dearly.

"Food, drugs and everything else would find it difficult to get into the country without tariffs and without holdups.

"But we'd also be in an economic war with America because there’d be no chance of a trade treaty with America.

"So Boris Johnson is going to end up as the most isolated Prime Minister in peacetime history, with no friends around the world.

"Because he has simply chosen a path of confrontation when everybody knows that it’s in Britain's economic interests – maybe not in the Brexiteers' ideological interest – but it's in Britain's economic interest to get a deal and to get a deal now."

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