By Ben Kerrigan-
Priti Patel has condemned the British Government’s approach in dealing with Brexit.
The sacked international development Secretary said the country is “ill-equipped” for Brexit talks and must take a firmer line with Brussels — by telling EU leaders to “sod off” over the divorce bill.
Patel was speaking at an event in London organised by The Spectator magazine, when she categorically sated that Theresa May’s administration was handling preparations for Brexit badly. Ms. Patel said: “The Government has been ill-equipped in terms of preparations for the negotiations… It’s not an ideal state at all.”
Patel proceeded to criticise Theresa May’s administration for not highlighting the economic opportunities Brexit offers and telling EU chiefs to ”sod off”.
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“We should have had conviction and clarity in terms of our end state and destination and presented that and been pretty forthright about it as well. My views on money are pretty clear, I don’t like spending money so I would have told the EU in particular to sod off with their excessive financial demands,” the shamed ex-minister continued.
Patel, who was disgracefully forced out of her ministerial position following revelations by the BBC that she had secretly met with Israeli officials in 2017, said clarity was lacking in the government’s approach under “very challenging circumstances” and
“struggling with a difficult set of cards post the election,”
“What are the economic opportunities for the City of London and for many other businesses and sectors in terms of leading out in the world and potentially trading with countries we have simply not been engaged with for not just years but for decades? The world is changing, the labour market is changing,” she said
.
Her unwelcome comments come days before Theresa May’s scheduled to trip to Brussels, and attempt to persuade the EU to move onto the new phase of talks, covering trade and transition. Patel’s recommendation that the British Government bluntly rejects demands from EU chiefs lacks the maturity expected of a former minister.
A prime minister faced with the sort of complex challenges presented by Brexit will be foolish to just dismiss the EU on the one hand, whilst wanting to hold trade talks on the other. It would appear that Patel is feeling sore following her dismissal which she caused herself. Any economic benefit Brexit presents can always be articulated by the prime minister, but there is a right time for everything. The determining issue of whether Britain should pay a hefty divorce bill to the EU is whether the demand is valid and legal.
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There have been recent indications from the British Government that the UK is now prepared to pay a high figure for the divorce bill , but other points of contention include the Irish border and the full extent of citizens rights on both sides of the equation. The Republic of Island has threatened to obstruct steps to move trade talks without further guarantees against a “hard border” on the island. These are all issues that demand proper attention.
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