Former Brexit secretary accused of being ‘deluded or just plain stupid’

Davis has claimed in his latest remarks that the United Kingdom could still enter a transition period if it was to crash out of the EU without a deal.

He wrote on the ConservativeHome website: ‘If we need to leave with no deal and negotiate a free trade agreement during the transition period, so be it. Let’s be clear and honest and tell the EU that’s what we are prepared to do.’

His comments appeared to ignore the fact that there will only be a transition period if the government can agree a withdrawal agreement with the EU – something he agreed in writing in his time in the job.

Davis was accused of being either ‘deluded’ or ‘just plain stupid’.

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MP Layla Moran from the Best for Britain group said: ‘It seems like the man who was in charge of delivering Brexit doesn’t understand the process. You can’t have a transition without a deal and everyone knows that.

‘The truth is that there are two genuine options available to the parliament and to the country: firstly the government’s deal that loses us decision making power and would leave us worse off, and second, our current deal that would keep our prosperity, keep our say over EU laws and trade agreements and deliver what the majority of people in the UK now want.’

It was in the same opinion column that Davis tried to urge the prime minister to stop pushing her Brexit plan by quoting the Spice Girls.

As a result social media users have been suggesting their own lyrics in response.

It is not the first time – or likely to be the last time – that Brexiteers tie themselves in knots over the complexities of the Brexit process.

Nadine Dorries appeared to claim she could not support the prime minister because her deal would not allow for MEPs or commissioners. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab also said that he had not appreciated the importance of the Dover-Calais crossing.