On Friday morning the Department for International Trade published a press release by the disgraced Liam Fox in effect saying the UK would leave the EU Single Market.

The press release said the UK would seek to trade with the EU under WTO rules.

Here was the key paragraph from that release:

If the UK does exit the European Single Market, it will be governed by World Trade Organization ( WTO ) rules until any new trade deals are negotiated. We’ll remain a competitive player on the global stage because all major economies and most minor ones are members of the WTO . The WTO requires each member to charge the others the same tariffs and grant them ‘most favoured nation’ market access.

The press release was picked up by Labour’s Chuka Umunna, who pointed out the implications

Trading with the EU under WTO rules would be a hammer blow for the economy, and would demonstrate the hollow nature of Vote Leave’s promises — Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) August 12, 2016

Leave campaigners promised repeatedly we would get a free trade agreement with the EU – now Fox seems to admit this will not be achievable — Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) August 12, 2016

Fox's WTO strategy would devastate vital export industries, like car manufacturing, and lead to higher prices in the shops for families — Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) August 12, 2016

To put Liam Fox's announcement today in context – trading under WTO rules with the EU means 10% levy on cars, 12% on clothes and more. Crazy — Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) August 12, 2016

You get the point – this was a huge admission by the government.

And weren’t even aware of the implications of what they were saying. When the incompetent buffoon realised what he’d done, Fox asked the press release to be pulled.

It’s no longer there. No explanation, just gone. Here’s a Google cache of the press release.

Perhaps the disgraced Liam Fox doesn’t want to publicly admit Vote Leave misled the public.

