Reuters
UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss
- Australians could be given the right to live and work in the UK as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
- UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said freedom of movement would form part of her talks about a deal.
- She insisted a deal with the country could be struck within a matter of months once Britain leaves the EU.
- The UK government has insisted that EU citizens will lose their right to free movement to the UK after Brexit.
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Australians could be given the right to live and work freely in the UK as part of a post-Brexit trade deal, the UK's International Trade Secretary has suggested.
"We want a fully comprehensive trade deal that reflects our deep, ongoing relationship, the friendship between our two countries, the fact that Australians want to come and live and work in Britain, and Brits want to come and live and work in Australia," Ms Truss said at a press conference with Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham in Canberra.
Asked whether the deal would allow the free movement of people from the UK, Truss replied that "it's certainly something we will be looking at as part of our free trade negotiations."
EU citizens currently have the right of freedom of movement to the UK. However, prime minister Boris Johnson has insisted that this right will end after Brexit.
Truss insisted that a trade deal could be signed with Australia in a matter of months.
"The reason that I have chosen to make Australia one of the first countries I have visited as trade secretary is because it is an absolute priority to get on with this trade deal," Truss said.
"I would say months rather than years for it to be completed."
The Australian Trade minister said the country would look to secure greater access to the UK agriculture and services sectors as part of any deal.
"We also as Secretary Truss rightly identified, see this as being a comprehensive and ambitious agreement," he said.
"We see enormous opportunities in relation to the services sector, for enhanced cooperation in the UK."
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