Brexit transition period must be finished before the next election, Liam Fox says

The International Trade Secretary suggested a period of 24 months

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox walks through Downing Street (Getty)

Any period of transitional arrangements between Britain and the EU over Brexit must have concluded by the next general election, Liam Fox has said.

The International Trade Secretary suggested a period of 24 months for any transition but said it must be “time-limited”.

The staunch eurosceptic minister’s demand appears to stem from fears amongst Brexiteers that a transitional period could be used to stop Brexit by any incoming government elected in 2022.

“I want to leave the European Union at the end of March 2019. Once we have done that, once we have fulfilled our promise to the British people we can look to see what we are going to do in terms of making that a smooth transition for our businesses to give them maximal certainty and to cause minimal disruption,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“Frankly, having waited for over 40 years to leave the European Union, 24 months would be a rounding error, whether that’s 23 or 25 is not a huge deal, nor is it an ideological one, it’s about the practical issues we would face: for example getting any new immigration or customs systems into place.”

He continued: “I think we would want to get it out of the way before the general election, I don’t think we would want to have it dragging on. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to have a transition that would make it as smooth as possible. I think that’s what businesses would want us to have in Britain and what our investors abroad would want to see.”

A transition period is a suggested time during which Britain remains subject to some EU regulations or within jurisdiction of some EU institutions before fully leaving, to allow businesses and government to adjust to the new state of affairs.

Brexit Secretary David Davis this month accepted the need for a transition period, but there is apparent dispute in the Cabinet about what shape it should take.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said any period should be dictated by “economic logic” and could last for an extended period, while Mr Davis has said Britain will be outside the customs union by 2019.

Downing Street claims the Cabinet are on “the same page”, however.

Business group the CBI suggested that the UK should remain entirely in the single market during a transition period – a suggestion rejected by ministers.

Mr Fox is currently in the United States conducting preview trade talks, laying the ground for a deal after Britain leaves the EU.