The Three Brexiteers

Article 50 has been triggered and in charge of this withdrawal are the Three Brexiteers!

The three Brexiteers are three men, together with the Prime Minister, will facilitate the withdrawal from the EU. These are David Davis, the Head of the Department for exiting the European Union. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox who also campaigned to leave the E, and Boris Johnson who was the leader of the official Leave Campaign and who is now the Foreign Secretary. These men were dubbed the “Three Brexiteers” and each will play a role in negotiating with the EU and seek out new international agreements. At the end of the day however, it will be Mrs May the Prime Minister who will have the final say.
 

Boris Johnson

 
Mr Johnson’s appointment as Foreign Secretary by Theresa May was a curious choice. It put the foreign policy in the hands of a man who was rarely described as diplomatic. It is difficult to guess what was Mrs May’s motivation in choosing him. Maybe it was that he declared himself as pro-immigration and as the London Mayor celebrated the diversity of the capital. Maybe because he has the right personality to project Britain as an internationalist and open country and his canvass will be the world beyond Europe, while Europe will be left in the hands of David Davis.

Could Mr Johnson jeopardise the Brexit negotiations? In November he was ridiculing European ministers after telling Italy at a Brussels meeting that it would have to offer tariff free trade to sell Prosecco to the UK.
 

David Davis

 
Mr Davis was the Europe Minister in the mid-1990s and he was a pro-Brexit minister. This would put him in a good position to explain the trade-offs between the single market access and by implication jobs and growth and immigration control.

Mr Fox who also like Mr Davis was a contender for the Tory leadership, and who is the former defence Secretary, will be in charge of making good on the leavers claim that the UK will be able to strike a series of new trade deals once we leave the EU. There is no doubt that Mr Fox has a big job because Britain has not negotiated any trade deals on its own since it joined the EU in 1973.
 

Liam Fox

 
The Financial Times described Mrs May’s approach in choosing these three Brexiteers as to put Brexit in the hands of liberal leavers, hoping that they can deliver on her promise to make Brexit a success.

The reaction of the German chancellor to the triggering of Article 50, was to publically dismiss the plan to begin talks on trade deals before negotiations on Britain’s EU divorce were concluded. How will the Three Brexiteers be able to carry out their talks, if Brussels expect the UK first to settle the Bill i.e. financial obligation of 60 billion first before any trade deal talks can start?

No doubt exciting times are ahead and we will keep you updated.