Dominic Raab urges EU to treat UK ‘fairly’ in final stages of Brexit talks

Dominic Raab appears on Sky News. Photograph: Sky. - Credit: Archant

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has urged the EU to treat the UK fairly in the final stages of Brexit trade negotiations with the EU.

Raab was responding to reports that claimed Downing Street believed there was just a 30% to 40% chance of a Brexit trade deal.

He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: ‘I think it is there for the taking.

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‘This week the negotiations are really important and all the UK is asking for is to be treated like any other country in free trade negotiations.

‘No other country would accept being bound by or controlled by the EU’s rules or indeed in their relations with any other country, and indeed the EU wouldn’t accept it in relation to us – I think that’s just a straightforward point of principle.’

Raab said the talks had come down to two sticking points – fisheries and state aid.

The cabinet minister said the UK was happy to sign up to the terms on state aid as ratified in the EU’s deal with Canada but would not go further than that, and accused Brussels of ‘double standards’ in demanding more from Britain than it had in past free trade deals.

He added: ‘We’ve actually got the issues boiled down to two outstanding bones of contention.

‘There is a good deal there for the EU, we’d love to do that free trade agreement and if not we’ll fall back on Australian-style rules.

‘I think this week is an important moment for the EU to really effectively recognise that those two point of principles are not something we can just haggle away – they are the very reasons we are leaving the EU, but we want a positive relationship and the arm of friendship and goodwill is extended.

‘It is up to the EU to decide whether they want to reciprocate.’