UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox speaking in Japan 1 Sept
- UK must not allow itself to be "blackmailed" by the EU over its Brexit settlement bill in order to start trade talks
- a bad Brexit deal would damage both British and European companies
- everyone would benefit from Brexit if the outcome was free trade with no tariff barriers.
Comments from a press conference a little earlier as the May/trade road-show comes to an end after the 3 day visit.
Said Fox when asked whether it was time for the UK to name its Brexit price:
"We can't be blackmailed into paying a price on the first part (the divorce fee).
"We think we should begin discussions on the final settlement because that's good for business, and it's good for the prosperity both of the British people and of the rest of the people of the European Union."
More from the BBC here
Fox's comments come as Barnier and Davis have been meeting again this week but failing to come to any real conclusions/progress as I reported yesterday.
Meanwhile GBPUSD continues to nudge lower at 1.2912. Demand expected into 1.2900 then 1.2880. EURGBP steady around 0.9200 as EURUSD also retreats.
Fox - UK will not be blackmailed by EU over Brexit bill
