Britain will find it hard to negotiate its EU exit because all its negotiators are working for the organisation, Oliver Letwin has said.

"The trade negotiators who are Brits, at the moment are basically working for the EU," he told the BBC.

"They are employed there and it's up to them obviously whether they are recruited into Whitehall.

"We don't have trade negotiators because the trade negotiation has been going on in the EU so we are going to have to hire a whole - David Davis is going to have to hire - group to deal with the EU negotiations and Liam Fox of course in what I think is an excellent plan of Theresa's to create a new Department of International Trade."

The former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster lost his position after Prime Minister Theresa May formed a new Government.


Image: Oliver Letwin was sacked from the Government

Mr Davis, a staunch Brexiteer, is to head a new department as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

He and International Trade Secretary Mr Fox will be required to negotiate trade deals throughout the world.

The new Brexit Secretary says he expects Britain to trigger the official leave process through Article 50 Britain "before or by the start of next year".

Writing in The Sun, he said Article 50 should be triggered straight way in case EU countries acted "irrationally" and refused tariff-free access to the European single market because the UK refused to compromise on ending the free movement of people.

Mr Davis wrote: "I expect the new Prime Minister to trigger a round of global trade deals with all our most favoured partners - and the negotiation of most within between 12 and 24 months.

"Within two years, before the negotiation with the EU is likely to be complete, we can negotiate a free trade area massively larger than the EU.

"Deals with the US and China alone will give us a trade area almost twice the size of the EU - and of course, we will also be seeking deals with many others.

Asked if Mr Davis was the right man for the job, Mr Letwin said: "I have known David obviously for many, many years and I have negotiated a certain number of things with him and I can tell you he is a jolly tough cookie and that's what we need."