Chancellor has ‘no doubt’ about Brexit trade agreement despite plans to resume no-deal preparations

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Javid’s deputy Rishi Sunak effectively confirmed on Saturday that a crash-out on World Trade Organisation terms remains a possibility if the Conservatives win the 12 December election, as he revealed that the government’s no-deal preparations committee will resume meetings following the vote. The chancellor insisted he has “no doubt” that an FTA can be negotiated within 11 months of the UK’s formal withdrawal from the EU, which will take place on 31 January if Boris Johnson wins an overall majority. Asked whether he will set aside any money to mitigate the impact of leaving without an FTA on 1 January 2021, Mr Javid told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I think most of the work has already been done. Obviously it’s on hold now because of the election, but if we are re-elected we’ll get back to that work, and we can get that deal done certainly by the end of next year, of that I have no doubt.” Mr Javid said that it was “self evident” that the withdrawal agreement negotiated by Mr Johnson with Brussels will be implemented by the end of January if Tories win the election.