No Need For Brits To Be Pessimistic About Brexit: Australian High Commissioner

20 March 2018, 17:18 | Updated: 20 March 2018, 17:33

The UK is a wonderful country and Brits shouldn’t be so pessimistic about leaving the European Union, the Australian High Commissioner has told LBC.

Speaking to Iain Dale, Alexander Downer said it “can’t be difficult” for the UK and Australia to strike a post-Brexit trade deal.

On Monday the UK and EU agreed on a large part of the transition deal which will end in December 2020.

The UK will be able to sign trade deals with non-EU countries, but gave ground on free movement and fishing quota rules.

Mr Downer described the transition as “buying a useful amount of time to tidy up negotiations”.

But told Iain Brits need not to be so pessimistic about leaving the bloc.

“We have an expression in Australia which is 'she'll be right’,” he said.

“So we'll work it out somehow and she will be right, in our case we've always done pretty well as a country because we run our country well.

“You've always done pretty well as a country, you'll work your way through it and there's no need to be too pessimistic.

“I mean the government has to you know be optimistic and be forward leaning and forward thinking and the leadership of the country has to get the country to feel good about itself and why wouldn't you I mean this is a wonderful country.”