‘No surrender squad to reverse Brexit has been set up’ – No 10
There is no “surrender squad” of civil servants set up to reverse Brexit, Downing Street has insisted.
No 10 has however acknowledged there is a team dealing with the future of EU-UK relations, amid media reports which claim the so-called surrender squad will row back on the result of the 2016 referendum to leave the EU.
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken of resetting the EU-UK relationship since coming to power, and aims to build closer ties with Britain’s nearest neighbours.
Reset
Asked if such a team had been set up, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No.”
He added: “The Prime Minister has said we want to reset out relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people and we have seen very positive engagement in our early conversations as we work to reset the relationship with our European partners to strengthen ties, secure broad-based security pacts, tackle barriers to trade.”
There are fewer people in the team than the 100-strong figure reported in several media outlets, according to No 10, but the spokesman would not reveal how many were part of it.
He guided away from “the idea that a new team has been set up”.
Cabinet Office
“There is a group of people who were working in the Foreign Office who have been moved to the Cabinet Office to secure the best possible deal for the UK in relation to the EU,” he said.
The spokesman added: “This is all about ensuring that we get the best possible relationship between the UK and the EU, that ensures that Brexit works for the British people.”
No 10 would not set an end date for the reset in relations Sir Keir’s Government is attempting to broker.
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And who started this rumour. Was it the express? Mail? That other paper getting hocked to the highest bidder with Zahawi possibly involved?
We will need to deal with the EU on good terms, we had UK brexiteers march into meetings with notes on a fag packet and we were stitched up like a kipper.
I think a new referendum on rejoin would be a winner now we see what lies panned out. Speaking of which, Johnson writes for the mail?
I’m not sure who started it, but it’s obviously why nobody trusts Starmer with this: he spend years trying to overturn, or re-run, the democratic Brexit vote. In classic lefty form he only believes in democracy when it produces a result that he likes.
I now see that it does in deed seem to come from the serial liar and cheat, Johnson. He is writing his usual gibberish in a rag that painted a target on the backs of judges.
But the vote was done, we let the Tory party and brexiteers wreck the UK, and it is measurable. We have left. Time for a new vote to improve our lives and tell the likes of the mail and Johnson to get lost.
Yes Jeff, Johnson is the reason it’s been such a disaster…although I will say, Starmer et al are giving him a run for his money on the serial liar front. You are, of course, free to campaign for a new vote. Best of luck.
Brexit is done. Kier would never rejoin, would he???
He’s already building up form for flip flopping. So it could be “in today, out tomorrow” in an attempt to keep everybody happy !
He would if he could – he’s a fair weather democrat – but I don’t think he can.
The EU doesn’t let governments nationalize things, so Labour won’t be trying to re-join.