No-Deal Brexit Would be 'Mistake We'll Regret for Generations' - Jeremy Hunt

The recently appointed foreign secretary is the latest politician to warn against a hard Brexit, while others, particularly hardline Brexiteers, have insisted that it shouldn’t be ruled out if Brussels doesn’t offer Britain an acceptable trade deal.

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in an interview with ITV News on Thursday that leaving the EU without a transition period and post-Brexit deal in place would be a “mistake we would regret for generations,” urging all stakeholders to do everything in their power to avert such an eventuality.

Hunt, who served as health secretary before being appointed foreign secretary shortly after Boris Johnson’s resignation, stressed that a hard Brexit would also “inevitably change British attitudes towards Europe.”

READ MORE: Prospect of No-Deal Brexit Scenario Over 50% as UK Keeps Changing Demands — Prof

When asked about the government’s outlined Brexit plan, the senior cabinet minister said many EU member states are keen to secure a trade deal between Britain and the union.

“It is a framework on which I believe the ultimate deal will be based and I’ve been to several countries and met seven foreign ministers and am meeting more in the weeks ahead. I’m getting a strong sense that not just in Holland but in many of the places I’ve visited that they do want to engage seriously to try and find a way through to try and get a pragmatic outcome.”

On Thursday, the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that a no-deal Brexit is likely to allow deadly diseases to spread more easily throughout Europe unless the UK continues to be a part of the bloc’s joint health bodies and preventative programs.

The Independent, amid continued Brexit negotiations, launched its Final Say campaign, looking to rally support for a second referendum on the UK’s membership in the EU, with the campaign’s petition having received over 600,000 signatures.

READ MORE: No-Deal Brexit Will Increase Risk of Deadly Diseases Spreading in Europe — BMA