British Chancellor warns that there will be no alignment on EU regulations after Brexit
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The chancellor, Sajid Javid, has warned that there will be no alignment with EU regulations once Britain’s exit from the European Union is made official.
In what is being seen as an opening salvo in the next stage of negotiations, he said the Treasury would not lend support to manufacturers that favour EU rules as the sector has had three years to prepare for Britain’s transition.
In an interview with the Financial Times, he said: “There will not be alignment, we will not be a rule taker, we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union – and we will do this by the end of the year.
“We’re … talking about companies that have known since 2016 that we are leaving the EU.”
His remarks will be seen as confirmation of a strategic departure from Theresa May’s deal in which she envisaged close alignment with the EU, in an effort to reduce friction at the border for traders.
But they will alarm business leaders in key sectors including car manufacturing and agriculture who fear the price of non alignment will be more complex trade barriers to those who export and import with the rest of the EU.
