NEW DELHI: Britain\u00a0s foreign minister warned Thursday against World War II-style “punishment beatings” after France indicated it would not accept improved conditions for the UK outside the single market.
\nBoris Johnson said it would not be in anyone\u00a0s interest to penalise Britain for exiting the European Union, comparing proposed trade tariffs to punishments meted out to escaped prisoners in World War II movies.
\nHis comments came a day after Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed Britain would leave Europe\u00a0s single market and warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on its divorce from the bloc.
\n“I think that if Monsieur Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anybody who chooses to escape, rather in manner of some sort of World War II movie, than I don\u00a0t think that is the way forward,” he told delegates at a political conference in New Delhi.
\n“I think it\u00a0s actually not in the interest of our friends and our partners.”
\nMay said on Thursday that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the EU, which accounted for 44 percent of the country\u00a0s exports in 2015.
\nBut French President Francois Hollande has consistently said Britain would not be granted better trading terms outside the single market.
\nOn Thursday, Johnson said Britain\u00a0s decision to exit the single market did not mean it wanted to stop having access to EU countries.
\n“We should be working together. It seems absolutely incredible to me that in the 21st century, the European Union… should be seriously contemplating the introduction of tariffs or whatever to administer punishment to UK,” he said.
\n“And don\u00a0t forget, these things cut both ways. After all, the Germans, as is well known, export one-fifth of their motor manufacturing output.”
\nThe British foreign secretary is due to meet India\u00a0s prime minister and finance minister during his two-day trip to the country.
\nBritain has made clear its desire to boost trade with India, the world\u00a0s fastest-growing major economy.
\n“I think time is fast upon us that we need to turbo charge this relationship with a new free trade deal such as we would shortly be able to do,” Johnson said.
\n“We can\u00a0t negotiate it now but we can sketch it out in pencil, on the back of an envelope,” he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: Britain\u00a0s foreign minister warned Thursday against World War II-style “punishment beatings” after France indicated it would not accept improved conditions for the UK outside the single market. Boris Johnson said it would not be in anyone\u00a0s interest to penalise Britain for exiting the European Union, comparing proposed trade tariffs to punishments meted out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10403","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n