Boris Johnson has been reminded of comments around a Brexit trade deal with the EU in which he claimed that “100% of issues” relating to a trade agreement had been resolved already.
During another visit to a car factory days before the general election, the prime minister was questioned about the likeliness of a trade agreement between the UK and EU by ITV Central’s Gareth Owen.
Owen told the politician: “Hundreds of families in Derbyshire rely on Toyota and Rolls Royce to pay the mortgage every month, in turn they are going to be relying on you to pull off a trade deal with the EU in super quick time.
“Can you reassure those workers that you are going to get this done right but not quickly, and if you need more time, you’ll extend negotiations.”
The prime minister replied: “Let’s be clear Gareth, we have a deal.
“What workers at Toyota and everywhere around the country, everybody who trades with the EU understands that our deal allows us on January 31st to come out of the EU, take back full legal control -“
But the reporter injected to remind him a trade deal still needs to be achieved.
“But you’ve still got to get a trade deal beyond that and that’s the issue, are you willing to extend the negotiations?”
Johnson continued his bluster, replying: “What you’re forgetting is that the EU has never done a deal with an existing member as it were. Most of the things – 100% of the issues you need to address in a trade negotiation – are already addressed.”
Pressing further, the presenter asked: “So you’re confident are you, that you’ll get it done and if you need more time you’ll ask for it?”
Agreeing, Johnson added: “Let’s be clear that we have a deal”.
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