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| Brexit: Delaying Brexit worse than no deal, says Liam Fox | Brexit: Delaying Brexit worse than no deal, says Liam Fox |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Delaying or cancelling Brexit would be a "calamitous" breach of trust with the electorate and worse than leaving the EU with no deal, Liam Fox has said. | Delaying or cancelling Brexit would be a "calamitous" breach of trust with the electorate and worse than leaving the EU with no deal, Liam Fox has said. |
| The Brexiteer minister told BBC's Radio 4's Today programme MPs pushing for a delay actually wanted to stop Brexit. | The Brexiteer minister told BBC's Radio 4's Today programme MPs pushing for a delay actually wanted to stop Brexit. |
| But he said this was the "worst outcome" of the current wrangles. | But he said this was the "worst outcome" of the current wrangles. |
| MPs are proposing alternative plans to the PM's deal with the EU, including seeking an extension to the UK's exit date - it is due to leave on 29 March. | MPs are proposing alternative plans to the PM's deal with the EU, including seeking an extension to the UK's exit date - it is due to leave on 29 March. |
| But the prime minister has said the "right way" to rule out no-deal Brexit is to approve her withdrawal agreement. | But the prime minister has said the "right way" to rule out no-deal Brexit is to approve her withdrawal agreement. |
| Liam Fox said MPs should think about the "political consequences" of delaying Brexit not just the "short-term economic consequences". | |
| "There is no doubt that leaving with a deal and minimising disruption both to the UK and our EU trading partners is in our best interest," the international development secretary said. | |
| "But I think the most calamitous outcome would be for Parliament, having promised to respect the result of the referendum, to turn around and say it wouldn't." | |
| Under current law, the UK will exit the EU on 29 March, whether or not a deal has been struck. The decision to leave was taken by 52% to 48% in a referendum in June 2016. | |
| Osborne's 'Russian roulette' warning | |
| Former Chancellor George Osborne has said delaying the UK's exit from the EU was now the "most likely" option. | |
| Speaking to BBC business editor Simon Jack in Davos, Mr Osborne said that the prospect of no-deal meant "the gun is held to the British economy's head". | |
| "Russian roulette is a game which you should never play because there's a one-in-six chance that the bullet goes into your head," he said. | |
| Mr Osborne, who was sacked by Mrs May when she became prime minister after the referendum, said his successor Philip Hammond had "sensibly" told businesses that leaving without a deal was not a possibility. | |
| "But we now need to hear it from the British prime minister," he said. |