Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib claimed the UK could get the upper hand in the Brexit trade talks with the EU as we near the end of the transition period. During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Habib said the UK must reject the Northern Irish protocol and prepare for a no deal Brexit. He argued the UK could still greatly thrive regardless of whether a trade deal is agreed with the EU.

Mr Habib said: "There are two things that we would need to do to put proper pressure on the EU.

"The first thing is we need to repudiate the Northern Irish protocol.

"We need to say although we signed up to it, it is actually pernicious in its terms for the sovereignty of the United Kingdom."

Mr Habib noted the UK also needed to prepare for no deal, regardless or not whether it is a likely outcome.

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He continued: "The other thing we would need to do is prepare positively for no deal.

"One of my biggest criticisms of Theresa May and indeed the current Government is that there is no positive vision of a no deal Brexit.

"Michael Gove, who is in charge of no deal planning, is on the record a number of times saying no deal would be a disaster for the UK.

"Actually no deal could be a huge liberator for the United Kingdom."

The Brexiteer outlined some of the benefits of a no deal Brexit that have been ignored by both Theresa May and Boris Johnson's governments.

He added: "If we were to no deal Brexit, fail to get a deal with the EU, we would be able to levy tariffs on the EU.

"We run a 100 billion pound trade deficit with them so the benefit of those tariffs would favour the UK dramatically.

"We would be able to cut VAT to whatever level we want and state fund those industries in the UK we wish to protect.

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"We would be able to ensure that companies and the Government bought British products ahead of buying EU manufactured products.

"We would be able to take back proper control of our borders our cash and our country."

Mr Habib argued the EU was hoping to prevent the UK from gaining control of these things.

He noted this was one of the reasons the EU was not behaving progressively in the Brexit trade deal talks.

He closed by saying: "In the absence of proper no deal preparations and in the absence of being prepared to repudiate the Northern Irish protocol, I feel the Government would be unable to get a good Brexit deal from the EU."

See the article here:

Brexit breakthrough: Brexiteer reveals how UK will FORCE EU backdown in crunch talks - Daily Express