Liam Fox’s trade department has secretly admitted to some of Britain’s biggest businesses that the 40 free trade deals the minister promised to have ready by Brexit day are “unlikely” to materialise.
The admission, seen by the Press Association, is contained in the minutes of a meeting attended by senior figures at the likes of Burberry, Mulberry and Hornby at a behind-closed-doors event.
At the meeting, Department for Trade officials were probed on the pledge by Mr Fox that he would sign free trade agreements to replicate the EU’s 40 existing deals with countries around the world.
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