In a huge boost as the country gears up for quitting the bloc next March, George Brandis said Brexit was an event "of profound significance" and one that would "give Britain much greater flexibility" for years to come.
As Theresa May fights to secure a deal with Brussels, the Australian diplomat, 61. insisted that our historic vote to leave was a huge turning point in our history.
And that it created chances for Britain to look beyond Europe and across the world for new, historic trading partners.
Mr Brandis, who came into the top job in May, told CapX: "Britain’s trade policy for 40 years has essentially be sub-contracted to the EU… now it will and indeed must have an independent trade policy which will give Britain much greater flexibility of movement beyond Continental Europe."
He added: "It does create huge opportunities for Britain beyond Europe, across the Atlantic and in Asia and Australasia."
And he told Brits that although there was uncertainty about what leaving the EU would look like at the moment, Britain would prosper no matter what.
"If ever there is a nation in modern history whose prosperity has been the outcome of international trade, it’s Britain," he insisted.
"More so than any nation you can think about.”
Mr Brandis, who has served as the Attorney-General for Australia and was a minister under ex-PMs Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott, denied that Brexit was a populist decision, and suggested instead that it was the result of "40 years of Euroscepticism".
Mr Brandis was born in Sydney and has spent most of his life in Australia – but went to school in Lewisham as a kid and went on to get a law degree from Oxford University.
Over the summer it was announced that Britain would build a set of warships for Australia in a £20billion deal that saw the UK fight off competition from the EU.
Prime Minister Theresa May helped to fight off competition from Spain and Italy to win the massive contract, which secures more than 4,000 jobs.
Source: Read Full Article