Liam Fox, our utterly useless International Trade Secretary, has now admitted he hasn't quite managed to replicate the 40 trade deals the EU have with 88 countries around the world (HERE). I don't think anybody truly expected him to have all 40 signed and sealed, after all some of them might actually take over 'ten minutes' or not be the 'easiest trade deals in history'. But exactly how many has he managed? Errr..., none.
This is a bit different to what he told a cheering fringe meeting at the Tory party conference in October 2017 (HERE):
"We're going to replicate the 40 EU free trade agreements that exist before we leave the European Union so we've got no disruption of trade," Fox told a Conservative party fringe event in Manchester.
"I hear people saying 'oh we won't have any [free trade agreements] before we leave'. Well believe me we'll have up to 40 ready for one second after midnight in March 2019," he told cheering Tory activists.
I bet this wouldn't get quite so many cheers, unless they had all been drinking. But note the get out clause where he said "up to" 40 trade deals - well I suppose zero is "up to" but crikey its rather a long way away don't you think? I mean it almost looks as if he's missed the target.
Fox, according to this report in his local newspaper (HERE), has refused to rule out resigning if Britain stays in the EU customs union because it would prevent us 'signing trade deals' - something he hasn't actually been able to do anyway.
It seems the future prospects of an entire nation are being sacrificed in order to provide the idiot Fox with a job.
It seems the future prospects of an entire nation are being sacrificed in order to provide the idiot Fox with a job.
