Vince Cable's scathing attack on Liam Fox after Lib Dem's shock U-turn over free movement
SIR VINCE CABLE has said there is “no point to Liam Fox” during a scathing attack on the secretary of state for international trade.
Sir Vince Cable: There is no point to Liam Fox
The ex-business secretary said he was unable to work out what the purpose of Dr Fox’s job was. Mr Fox is the man charged with securing trade deals post-Brexit as one of the 'three Brexiters' appointed by Theresa May.
The war of words came as the top Remainer said Britain wouldn’t be able to negotiate trade deals with the rest of the world, citing it as “the greatest myth”.
LBC presenter Iain Dale picked up his remarks and asked: “Well, what’s the point of Liam Fox?”
Sir Vince exclaimed: “There is no point to Liam Fox!”
The ex-business secretary said he couldn't see what the point of Liam Fox was
There is no point to Liam Fox
“I mean I can see what David Davis is doing,” Sir Vince continued as he commented on the Brexit Secretary.
“I can see the Foreign Secretary [Boris Johnson] is hanging on in there, but the point of Dr Fox escapes me completely.”
The Liberal Democrat alluded to a trade trip made to India by Mrs May in November which he said resulted in “absolutely nothing”.
The ex-business secretary made the comments during an interview with Iain Dale
Cable slams populist "panic" to immigration in 2013
The Prime Minister was told she would have to grant more visas for the economic powerhouses’ nationals to come to the UK in exchange for trade deals.
Sir Vince said: “The Indian’s told her that ‘the problem we have negotiating with the European Union is exactly the same as we have negotiating with Britain as an individual’.
“‘We want to export you things we’re good at, i.e people, and you don’t want them’ - therefore the negotiations collapse.”
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Sir Vince’s come just days after he called for the end to EU free movement, hailing the “opportunity” of immigration controls post-Brexit.
The intervention is a stark contrast from the line of his Liberal Democrat colleagues who oppose leaving the EU completely.
The former cabinet member broke ranks as he expressed “serious doubt” that continuing uncontrolled immigration to Britain is “tenable or even desirable”.
Sir Vince suggested his party’s leader Tim Farron and Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn were defending free movement in order to push the Government towards a “soft Brexit” and remain inside the Single Market.