David Davis, supporter of Brexit, appointed the minister responsible for leading Britain's negotiations.
LONDON:
David Davis, a strong supporter of Brexit, was appointed the minister responsible for leading Britain's negotiations to leave the European Union by Prime Minister Theresa May.
Here are some facts about Davis, 67, Britain's "Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union".
In a blog published on Monday, Davis said there should be "a little time" before Britain triggered Article 50.
"The negotiating strategy has to be properly designed, and there is some serious consultation to be done first," he wrote.
- Before becoming a lawmaker in 1987, David worked as an insurance clerk and spent 17 years at Tate and Lyle.
- He served as a Foreign Office minister in the government of former Prime Minister John Major from 1994 to 1997, where he was responsible for government negotiations over Europe and NATO enlargement.
- He became chairman of the Conservative Party in 2001 and two years later was named its home affairs spokesman. He was initially considered favourite to become party leader in 2005 but was eventually beaten to the post by David Cameron.
- He has been an ardent campaigner in defence of civil liberties and after the Conservatives took power in 2010, criticized Cameron and May over plans for sweeping new surveillance powers for the security services and police.
- Making the case for Brexit in a speech in May, he said: "The first calling point of the UK's negotiator in the time immediately after Brexit will not be Brussels, it will be Berlin, to strike the deal:
absolute access for German cars and industrial goods, in exchange for a sensible deal on everything else.
"Similar deals would be reached with other key EU nations. France would want to protect the 3 billion pounds of food and wine it exports to the UK. We have seen the sort of political pressure French farmers are willing to bring to bear when their livelihoods are threatened, and France will also be holding a general election in 2017.
"So there is almost certainly going to be a deal, one that maintains a free market between the EU and the UK. The reality is that the hard-headed, pragmatic businessmen on the continent will do everything to ensure that trade with Britain continues uninterrupted."
- In an article in the Daily Telegraph before the referendum:
"The UK, once we vote to leave, will negotiate a new relationship with the EU. And like all negotiations, the outcome will be dictated by what is in the best interest of both sides. To those people who insist that the EU would erect tariffs should we vote to leave, ask why would those countries damage their own trade with the UK.
Out of spite? If that is the case, then, to paraphrase Groucho Marx, I wouldn't want to be a member of any club which threatened to ruin me if I left it."
"Everyone will gather round the negotiating table and hammer out a deal that benefits everyone. The core of that deal will be our trade with the EU. Our European neighbours know only too well that the tariff option will hurt key European industries. The negotiations will overlap with general elections in Germany and France. Not even the French will hurt themselves just to hurt us. So does anyone seriously think that the Continent will put up barriers to trade for no conceivable gain? I think not.
"So what would the UK look like outside the EU? Free trade with the EU, freer trade with the rest of the world. We would be free of EU government and bureaucracy, but would opt in, as others do, to those programs that are in our best interest. In short, it would be something new, something better, something in the interests of the UK and of the EU."
- On Jean-Claude Juncker before he was appointed European Commission President. June 2014.
"He is a protagonist of a European Superstate at a time when the electorates of Europe have risen up against precisely that mad idea.
"He is a lifetime politician from a country that seems to have a season ticket on the European gravy train - he would be the third European Commission president to come from that tiny country.
"He was a fanatical supporter of the Euro. He was one of its
architects, and still thinks it is a good idea, despite the devastation it has wrought on the Mediterranean countries.
"Should Mr Juncker disastrously succeed in his bid, there can be little doubt of his unsuitability for the role, lacking as he does any sort of qualifications. His purported achievements to date just do not hold up to scrutiny."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Here are some facts about Davis, 67, Britain's "Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union".
In a blog published on Monday, Davis said there should be "a little time" before Britain triggered Article 50.
"The negotiating strategy has to be properly designed, and there is some serious consultation to be done first," he wrote.
- Before becoming a lawmaker in 1987, David worked as an insurance clerk and spent 17 years at Tate and Lyle.
- He served as a Foreign Office minister in the government of former Prime Minister John Major from 1994 to 1997, where he was responsible for government negotiations over Europe and NATO enlargement.
- He became chairman of the Conservative Party in 2001 and two years later was named its home affairs spokesman. He was initially considered favourite to become party leader in 2005 but was eventually beaten to the post by David Cameron.
- He has been an ardent campaigner in defence of civil liberties and after the Conservatives took power in 2010, criticized Cameron and May over plans for sweeping new surveillance powers for the security services and police.
- Making the case for Brexit in a speech in May, he said: "The first calling point of the UK's negotiator in the time immediately after Brexit will not be Brussels, it will be Berlin, to strike the deal:
absolute access for German cars and industrial goods, in exchange for a sensible deal on everything else.
"Similar deals would be reached with other key EU nations. France would want to protect the 3 billion pounds of food and wine it exports to the UK. We have seen the sort of political pressure French farmers are willing to bring to bear when their livelihoods are threatened, and France will also be holding a general election in 2017.
"So there is almost certainly going to be a deal, one that maintains a free market between the EU and the UK. The reality is that the hard-headed, pragmatic businessmen on the continent will do everything to ensure that trade with Britain continues uninterrupted."
- In an article in the Daily Telegraph before the referendum:
"The UK, once we vote to leave, will negotiate a new relationship with the EU. And like all negotiations, the outcome will be dictated by what is in the best interest of both sides. To those people who insist that the EU would erect tariffs should we vote to leave, ask why would those countries damage their own trade with the UK.
Out of spite? If that is the case, then, to paraphrase Groucho Marx, I wouldn't want to be a member of any club which threatened to ruin me if I left it."
"Everyone will gather round the negotiating table and hammer out a deal that benefits everyone. The core of that deal will be our trade with the EU. Our European neighbours know only too well that the tariff option will hurt key European industries. The negotiations will overlap with general elections in Germany and France. Not even the French will hurt themselves just to hurt us. So does anyone seriously think that the Continent will put up barriers to trade for no conceivable gain? I think not.
"So what would the UK look like outside the EU? Free trade with the EU, freer trade with the rest of the world. We would be free of EU government and bureaucracy, but would opt in, as others do, to those programs that are in our best interest. In short, it would be something new, something better, something in the interests of the UK and of the EU."
- On Jean-Claude Juncker before he was appointed European Commission President. June 2014.
"He is a protagonist of a European Superstate at a time when the electorates of Europe have risen up against precisely that mad idea.
"He is a lifetime politician from a country that seems to have a season ticket on the European gravy train - he would be the third European Commission president to come from that tiny country.
"He was a fanatical supporter of the Euro. He was one of its
architects, and still thinks it is a good idea, despite the devastation it has wrought on the Mediterranean countries.
"Should Mr Juncker disastrously succeed in his bid, there can be little doubt of his unsuitability for the role, lacking as he does any sort of qualifications. His purported achievements to date just do not hold up to scrutiny."
© Thomson Reuters 2016
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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