Brexit deal must prioritise jobs and prosperity, says Philip Hammond

The chancellor has said that the only way the UK will be able to deliver the strong growth that will enable it to finally escape from years of austerity is a Brexit deal that puts jobs and prosperity first.

Philip Hammond said a comprehensive trade agreement, a transitional deal after the 2019 deadline for the end of talks, and a commitment to keep borders open should lay the foundations for a three-point Brexit plan for Britain.

Hammond, in a speech at the Mansion House in the City of London, said: “I have said before, and I remain clear today, that when the British people voted last June, they did not vote to become poorer or less secure. They did vote to leave the EU. And we will leave the EU. But it must be done in a way that works for Britain. In a way that prioritises British jobs, and underpins Britain’s prosperity. Anything less will be a failure to deliver on the instructions of the British people.”

He added: “I am confident we can do a Brexit deal that puts jobs and prosperity first, that reassures employers that they will still be able to access the talent they need, that keeps our markets for goods and services and capital open, that achieves early agreement on transitional arrangements so that trade can carry on flowing smoothly, and businesses up and down the country can move on with investment decisions that they want to make, but that have been on hold since the referendum. The collective sigh of relief will be audible. The benefit to our economy will be huge, in established sectors like manufacturing, the car industry, financial services, and pharmaceuticals; in emerging areas like biotech, and fintech; in the housing market; in the services sector; in the travel industry; in companies, large and small, right up and down our country, employing, between them, millions of people.”