Katy Balls Katy Balls

Liz Truss interview: ‘It’s important that we have robust honest debate’

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As the Tories gather in Manchester for their annual conference, Boris Johnson hopes to use the event to push post-Brexit opportunities – saying that if the government can get Brexit done, a bright future awaits. Among those opportunities are the new relationships the UK can forge with countries outside of the EU. On the latest episode of the Spectator Women with Balls podcast, I spoke to International Trade secretary Liz Truss about her current brief along with her new role of women and equalities.

Truss – who describes herself as a ‘Destiny’s Child feminist’ – says that when Johnson appointed her International Trade secretary he referenced her infamous 2015 conference speech – in which she spoke about pork markets and cheese exports – as proof she has a keen interest in the area.

Truss says that she believes deals can be signed quickly and said some can be signed ‘within months’. As for the threat trade deals could pose to UK businesses – particularly the farming industry – Truss warns against protectionism, insisting that Britain can compete.

On the issue of freedom of movement being on the table in a UK/Australia trade deal, Truss says it would not be freedom of movement in the EU sense:

‘What it involves – this is not freedom of movement EU style. What it involves though is it used to be the case that young Australians would come to Britain as a right of passage and experience our country and there would be opportunities too for young Britons to go to Australia and I would like to see those type of links restored so we become closer with our like-minded allies right across the world.’

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