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Vince Cable: Liam Fox 'will not survive' as he 'doesn't understand' issues surrounding Brexit

The former Business Secretary tells The Independent his former cabinet colleague is 'flakey' and 'ought to be redundant'

Tom Peck
Tuesday 20 September 2016 00:55 BST
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Vince Cable speaks during a fringe event on the third day of the Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference in Brighton
Vince Cable speaks during a fringe event on the third day of the Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference in Brighton

Former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable said Liam Fox ‘doesn’t understand the issues’ with regard to Brexit, and ‘ought to be redundant.’

Speaking to The Independent at the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, Sir Vince said: “I have very little time for Liam. David Davis is a serious, intelligent guy. [Liam] Fox is very flakey, fanatical and a neocon and he actually doesn’t understand the issues. It is very clear, for example, when he is interrogated that he doesn’t understand what a customs union is and why it matters.”

The two men both served in the coalition cabinet under David Cameron until Mr Fox was forced to resign as Defence Secretary after just over a year, when it emerged a close friend had been accompanying on official government trips and masquerading as an advisor. Mr Fox was brought back into the government by Theresa May as head of a new Department for International Trade, with responsibility for negotiating trade deals around the world.

“He will not survive, I don’t think, because his department has no purpose. They can’t negotiate with other countries until we’ve left the European Union, so he’s redundant, and he ought to be redundant,” Sir Vince added.

He also said there ‘should be a general election now, as there is a new government, doing new things,’ and said it would be up to the Liberal Democrats to put pressure on the government to ensure ‘as soft a Brexit as possible.’

“There is a split in the government between the hard Brexit and the soft Brexit. If Theresa May is successful in negotiating a soft Brexit then we would support that, against the headbanging Tories and Ukip on the other side.”

Tim Farron says Theresa May could be forced to hold a second EU referendum

A spokesman for the Department of International Trade said: "The Liberal Democrats have launched a number of personal attacks on Dr Fox recently. Britain has regained its self-conference [sic], it's sad that those who have been rejected by the electorate insist on talking down our country."

The Liberal Democrats appear to be divided on leader Tim Farron’s promise to have a second referendum on the terms of Brexit, but Sir Vince said this was merely about, “The best way of keeping the government to account when they’ve decided on their exit position.”

“What happens, two years down the track when you’ve got a basic outline of what we’ve negotiated. It can’t just be implemented by executive fear. There’s got to be some sort of approval mechanism. I would favour parliament doing it. After all, they’ve abdicated their duty, letting this lot get a referendum. That would be my preferred route. But however it’s done - election, parliament, referendum - there’s got to be a holding to account at that point,” he said.

“The deed is done. The vote has happened. What we have to do is respect the outcome, that’s crucial. But we have to try and salvage as much as possible the European connection, which is incredibly valuable to us economically.

“What we should be doing is trying to encourage Mrs May to negotiate a Brexit which is as soft as possible, which has the single market, the customs union, the regulatory framework, the environmental regulations, but we are going to have to change where we were before. There will have to be action on migration for example.”

The former Business Secretary said businesses should work out the exact implications for different types of Brexit, and they should be putting pressure on the government to ensure a soft Brexit.

“If I were still Business Secretary, I would be telling business people to work out exactly what the implications are for different kinds of Brexit. I would be pretty clear that the one thing they shouldn’t lose is the customs union because that is potentially catastrophic for manufacturing,” he said.

“The chances of getting a soft Brexit are not great, but we have to try. The alternative is that we finish up with a hard Brexit which would be absolutely catastrophic and we must avoid it.”

A friend of Dr Fox told The Independent: "A major part of Liam's role is promote British exports around the world and attract investment. If Vince Cable doesn't think that's a real job then it's just as well he doesn't hold public office any more."

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