Florence Speech: Ex-Theresa May aide warns 'prolonged vagueness' over Brexit damaging credibility

Former aide speaks out ahead of Theresa May's landmark Brexit speech

(PA)

An ex-Downing Street aide has warned that “prolonged vagueness” over the Government’s Brexit strategy has damaged Britain’s credibility in the negotiations.

Matthew O’Toole, who was Number 10’s chief Brexit spokesman until recently, urged Theresa May to change tack and use a landmark speech in Florence to “communicate clearly” with the public on the realities of the EU withdrawal.

Brexit position papers published recently offer a blurred picture of Britain’s priorities over key issues such as future trade deals and the Irish border, which may not be completely achievable, he said.

It comes as the Prime Minister was poised to delivery a key speech in Italy, where she is expected to offer to settle the UK's financial obligations to the EU in an effort to kickstart negotiations.

In a piece for Politico, Mr O’Toole said: “You can legitimately argue that our prolonged vagueness gave us time to test Brussels’ flexibility on single market terms and time to ensure cabinet consensus.

“But that time also came at a high cost to the UK’s credibility — in the eyes of EU elites at the negotiating table, with elements of the media and with the British public.

“So far, the government has largely declined to explain to the country the choices it must make in agreeing its withdrawal from — and future relationship with — the bloc.

"It has communicated much of its vision through repetition of tropes and slogans that obscured, rather than revealed, meaning.”

He said the Government's recent position papers only “vaguely indicated” which priorities will be traded off against one another and warned “these goals are not all achievable”.

The former civil servant dismissed concerns that Whitehall could not cope with the unique demands of Brexit but acknowledged the scale of the task ahead.

However Transport Secretary Chris Grayling defended the approach to Brexit, saying newspaper headlines failed to reflect the progress made behind the scenes.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If you look at what’s happened in the meantime - we've published about 14 position papers, we've set out options for the negotiations, we’ve done detailed technical work with the European Union.

“This is happening all the time.

“We’ve made good progress in areas like the issue of UK and EU citizens so it’s not as everybody has been standing still, a huge amount of work has been taking place both here and in Brussels.”