News / Foreign Policy

Chances of no-deal Brexit increasing by the day: Hunt

Tuesday, 31 July 2018 6:08 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 31 July 2018 6:11 PM ]

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt looks on during a joint press conference with his German counterpart, at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, on July 23, 2018. (AFP photo)

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that chances of his country leaving the European Union without a deal -- a scenario known as the no-deal Brexit -- are increasing by the day, calling on European powers France and Germany to push the EU toward a deal that could guarantee the interests of both London and Brussels.

“The probability of No Deal is increasing by the day until we see a change of approach from the European Commission who have this view that they just need to wait and Britain will blink,” said Hunt in an interview to the Evening Standard newspaper published on Tuesday.

Hunt said that Germany and France had a role to play to prevent the EU from imposing its approach on Britain during the final phases of Brexit negotiations, saying a no-deal Brexit would harm both Britain and the EU.

“France and Germany have to send a strong signal to the Commission that we need to negotiate a pragmatic and sensible outcome that protects jobs on both sides of the Channel because for every job lost in the UK, there will be jobs lost in Europe as well if Brexit goes wrong,” said Hunt, adding “There is real chance of No Deal by accident.”

The comments come amid an increasing uncertainty whether the UK could secure an agreement with the EU on its future relations with the bloc or it would simply crash out in March next year without determining how trade and other issued will be regulated.

Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled a plan earlier this month outlining her proposals for an agreement. However, EU officials have rejected key demands, including the future status of the border between EU member Ireland and UK province of Northern Ireland.

Reports on Tuesday showed that French President Emmanuel Macron had called on May to break her holidays in Italy and travel to southern France to attend urgent talks with the French leader.

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