Philip Hammond dismisses exorbitant divorce bill as ‘negotiating strategy’

Ahead of his budget announcement this week, Philip Hammond has told Andrew Marr that the UK may continue to face EU contributions after Brexit, though he dismissed claims of a £60bn divorce fee as ‘a piece of negotiating strategy’. The Chancellor looked relaxed as he shrugged off the potential failure of a trade deal with the EU, stating simply that ‘we will forge new trade deals around the world’.

In a typically uncharismatic performance, Hammond also poured cold water on the Resolution Foundation’s findings that the so-called ‘just about managing’ are going to be severely squeezed over the next three years. ‘I don’t recognise these numbers,’ he said, ‘various bodies publish various numbers, which exclude certain things.’

Meanwhile, Hammond’s Labour shadow John McDonnell gamely batted away questioning that was more focused with his party’s shambolic internal politics than their opposition to the Tory budget. ‘John McDonnell will not stand for the Labour leadership ever in the future again,’ he was forced to say, switching into the third person, presumably to add gravitas.