European business leaders have been urged to ignore statements coming from senior UK government ministers over UK’s vote to leave the EU, according to a report.
British diplomats have reportedly warned EU businesses that statements issued by the cabinet committee, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, were the only ones to reflect the official UK policy on Brexit.
European business leaders have watched the chaos that has been British politics over the last two months and waited for the new government to give a clear outline of how trade negotiations will work in future. Some banks and financial institutions have previously warned they could begin to move staff to other European countries before Britain leaves the EU.
According to a report by MLex, a publication providing market insight and analysis, diplomats are trying to reassure foreign investors that ministers circulating their contradictory views on Brexit through the media are a “normal part” of the policymaking process in the UK.
Theresa May has had an assured start as Prime Minister, and brought some calm to the storm caused by the vote to leave the EU. But divisions have emerged quickly along with contradictory statements from UK Brexit ministers.
These could intensify as UK begins the official negotiations to leave the EU.
David Davis, the news Brexit Secretary, was slapped down by Theresa May after he claimed it was “very improbable” the UK will remain a member of the single market if it means accepting free movement of people.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman later claimed Davis had been giving “his opinion” instead of stating government policy.
Meanwhile, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox’s department was forced to withdraw the announcement that Britain might leave the EU without having done a new trade deal first.
Boris Johnson, in a recent interview, indicated that Article 50 should be triggered in May. This was despite Downing Street repeatedly saying that it would not be implemented before the end of 2016.
On Monday, wxperts have said that civil servants preparing for negotiations to pull Britain out of the EU face as task of “mind-boggling” complexity.
Stephen Booth, co-director of the Open Europe think-tank, said it was likely that Brexit would end up being a gradual withdrawal from different aspects of the UK’s entanglements with the EU, rather than a single “big bang” event.
