The chancellor has rejected suggestions Brexit should be delayed – saying the “ticking clock” will “focus minds” and ensure Theresa May gets an exit deal passed in time.
Speaking to Sky News at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Philip Hammond dismissed calls from some MPs for Article 50 – the legal mechanism a country triggers to leave the EU – to be extended.
Mr Hammond told Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway: “The problem with that suggestion is that it is pretty clear, if you look at the situation, the only thing that is pushing people at all towards pragmatic compromise is the ticking clock and the deadline.
The chancellor says the prospect of a “no-deal” divorce is the “only thing pushing people at all towards pragmatic compromise”.