Britain will “fight back” if the EU will not strike an acceptable deal on Brexit, finance minister Philip Hammond said.
He said Britain would “do whatever we need to do” to be competitive if the country left the European Union without concluding a trade agreement.
“If there is anybody in the European Union who thinks that if we don’t do a deal with the European Union, if we don’t continue to work closely together, Britain will simply slink off as a wounded animal, that is not going to happen,” he told BBC television.
“British people have a great fighting spirit and we will fight back. We will forge new trade deals around the world.
“We will do whatever we need to do to make the British economy competitive and to make sure that this country has a great and successful future.”
Hammond, the chancellor of the Exchequer, refused to be drawn on whether that meant Britain would cut its corporation tax, set to fall to 19% on April 1 from 20%, in a bid to attract investment away from Europe.
“We expect to be able to achieve a comprehensive free trade deal with our European Union partners, but they should know that the alternative isn’t Britain just slinking away into a corner,” he said.
Monday, April 28, 2025
