A trade deal might not be done until the early to mid-2020s.
Sir Ivan Rogers, Britain’s ambassador to the EU, has privately told their government that a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal might take 10 years to finalise and still fail.
The BBC are reporting that a deal might not be agreed until the mid-2020s and even if it is arranged, an agreement could ultimately be rejected by other EU members’ national parliaments.
Rogers also stated that the preferred option for the European leaders was to engage in a free trade deal with the UK, rather than continued membership of the single market.
Regarding these reports, a Downing Street spokesperson said : “It is wrong to suggest this was advice from our ambassador to the EU. Like all ambassadors, part of his role is to report the views of others.”
These private comments by Rogers contrast with Theresa May’s insistence that by triggering Article 50, a deal can be done in the two years.
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