Of all the departments focussing on Brexit, it’s Liam Fox’s department that most regularly bears the brunt of unwanted publicity — whether it’s the Secretary for International Trade’s claim that UK businesses are lazy or reports of staffing issues and niche reading lists.
Today in an appearance at the International Trade Select Committee, Fox tried to set the record straight. He began by requesting an apology from Gus O’Donnell, the former Cabinet secretary, who has said setting up the new department was a mistake. Given that O’Donnell wasn’t at the hearing, he wasn’t able to oblige. But Fox wasn’t done there. He accused the media of being ‘ill-informed’ about the work his department does, and said reports that his staff are ‘third-rate’ and behave like ‘headless chickens’ were ‘insulting’.
On trade, he brushed off claims that a UK trade deal with the US could lead to a privatisation threat against the NHS as being ‘on a par with alligators in the sewers as an urban myth’. However, he said a priority would be to secure agreements with Korea and Switzerland – adding that he thought it would be ‘relatively easy’ for the UK to adopt the EU’s existing free trade agreements with new countries after it leaves the union.
Despite Fox’s optimism, what remains unclear is how far he and his department can enter trade discussions before exiting the EU:
‘There is no precedent for this, we have said we all abide by duties for cooperation and while we are members of EU will push for trade liberalisation.
However it would be against Britain’s national interests for us not to discuss with future trade partners what those trade agreements might be.’
Until the legal position is clear, there’s only so much Fox can do — no matter how ‘first-rate’ his staff may be.
Comments