A leading Brexiteer Cabinet minister claims Brussels will crumble under “time pressure” with the Brexit deadline over the US and UK trade deal.
The International Trade Secretary Liz Truss clams that Brussels will give into demands over the deadlock negotiations.
Truss said the EU will “crumble under time pressure” as there are negotiations with the bloc and the US for separate trade deals.
The UK has great potential for a huge deal with the US which will place mounting pressure on the EU to back down.
Truss and the US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer will begin their first round of negotiations via video call on Tuesday.
Brussels has been urged to take on a more realistic approach to negotiations and hold more one-on-one discussions with David Frost, the UKs negotiator.
Truss spoke to talkRadio and told Dan Wootton the UK have made it clear that the government will “not” be extending post Brexit trade talks with the EU.
Wootton said, “Gove told MPs this week that EU negotiators are not treating the UK in the manner they would treat other independent countries.
“He said the pandemic should concentrate minds.
“Why don’t we just say, let’s just do the no-deal Brexit.
“If they are not going to treat us fairly why are we even continuing these talks?”
The International Trade Secretary replied, “The best outcome for us is to get a free trade agreement with the EU, similar to ones they have signed up with Canada and Japan.
“It is true that the crisis should make people clear that trade is a good thing, that having tariff-free trade is what we all want out of this situation.
“I am confident the EU will see sense and work with us to achieve that. It is absolutely right we don’t extend the deadline. It is time pressure that will force things to happen.”
Discussing trade talks with the US, Truss added, “The US President and our PM are extremely committed to a free trade agreement.
“We are in discussions at the moment on a virtual basis, in a similar way that the EU discussions are talking place.
‘The talks had to be paused babies of the grave situation we were all facing but we are looking at how we can get those talks restarted on a virtual basis.
“We have committed to those talks taking place in parallel with the talks with the EU.”
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