Minister seeks to defuse row after backlash to claims he wanted Oliver Robbins sidelined
Brexit secretary David Davis has sought to defuse tensions with No 10 by playing down reports that he might resign unless Theresa May sidelines Whitehall’s top civil servant working on Britain’s exit from the EU.
After unexpected interventions from the cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood and May’s close aide Gavin Barwell defending Oliver Robbins, an aide to Davis said on Sunday evening that no such threats had been made. The aide added that Davis considered Robbins to be “a fantastic civil servant”.
EU members (plus Turkey, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino) trade without customs duties, taxes or tariffs between themselves, and charge the same tariffs on imports from outside the EU. Customs union members cannot negotiate their own trade deals outside the EU, which is why leaving it – while hopefully negotiating a bespoke arrangement – has been one of the government’s Brexit goals. See our full Brexit phrasebook.
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