David Davis: We're ready for any Brexit outcome
Brexit Secretary David Davis has said Britain will be ready for its EU withdrawal, even if it does not secure a good deal with Brussels going forward.
He told Tory Party conference in Manchester that work was under way at Whitehall "devoted to contingency arrangements so that we are ready for any outcome".
Mr Davis also poked fun at Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in his speech, as he outlined his vision for a global Britain after Brexit.
.@DavidDavisMP: Brexit is not a rejection of Europe it is a decision by the British people to leave the political project #CPC17
-- CCHQ Press Office (@CCHQPress) October 3, 2017
.@DavidDavisMP: We expect a good deal, but there's a determined exercise underway... 1/2 #CPC17
-- CCHQ Press Office (@CCHQPress) October 3, 2017
He said: "On the negotiating front, we are aiming for a good deal, and that is what we expect to achieve.
"However, if the outcome of the negotiation falls short of the deal that Britain needs, we will be ready for the alternative. That is what a responsible government does. Anything else would be a dereliction of duty.
"So there is a determined exercise under way in Whitehall devoted to contingency arrangements so that we are ready for any outcome. Not because it is what we seek, but because it needs to be done."
