Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves Downing Street in London, Britain, January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - Finance minister Philip Hammond declined to say on Friday if he would quit if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal to smooth its transition.

Asked if he would step down from his post in this scenario, Hammond told BBC radio: “I’m not going to speculate because a lot depends on the circumstances, what happens.

“The responsibility I have is to manage the economy in what is in the best interests of the British people. Now I clearly do not believe that making a choice to leave without a deal would be a responsible thing to do.”