UK Cabinet split on paying to access EU

LONDON: Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson exposed fresh divisions in the UK government by declining to endorse a new proposal that Britain should consider paying the European Union for continued access to its markets after Brexit.

In a series of television interviews on Sunday, Johnson steered clear of echoing Brexit Secretary David Davis and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who both signalled on Thursday that contributing to the EU budget may be worth doing to retain some trade ties once the UK leaves the bloc.

Pressed on whether he agreed, Johnson said Brexit delivered the opportunity to “take back control" of British money, trade, law and migration from the EU and spoke only of continuing to pay the region to stay a part of small programmes such as its initiative to encourage student exchanges.


“I see no reason why those payments should be large," Johnson, who campaigned for Brexit, told 'The Andrew Mar r Show' on the BBC.