Macron election win makes Brexit easier, says David Davis in Dudley
The election of French President Emmanuel Macron will make it easier for Britain to get a good deal as it leaves the EU, the Brexit Secretary has said.
David Davis told the Express & Star that Macron's victory over far-right rival Marine Le Pen would reduce 'fear' amongst EU leaders that other countries may look to follow Britain out of the bloc.
On a visit to Thomas Dudley Ltd with Conservative Dudley North candidate Les Jones, Mr Davis said: "I think Macron will be a good president from the French perspective. I think it makes it a little more predictable.
"It would have been very difficult to have seen how the rest of Europe would have been responding to a Le Pen presidency.
"One of the difficulties we deal with is that somehow Brexit will be a precursor to other people leaving.
"The less that fear is in people's minds, the easier my job is because I don't have to deal with people saying 'if you do well then everybody else will leave'. From that point of view I think it is good for us.
"France has gone through quite a difficult time in all sorts of ways, be it counter terrorism or economic, and I think it is a good result. To say it will be 'beneficial' is probably the wrong word but it will make my task have fewer pitfalls."
And Mr Davis said he wanted a 'good relationship' with the EU once Britain leaves the union.
He said: "We want the European Union to be successful, we want it to be effective. Why? Because it is our next door neighbour, because it is our market.
"This company (Thomas Dudley Ltd) sells most of its products to the rest of the world rather than Europe, nevertheless it wants to have that market on its doorstep successful. From a security point of view we want it to be successful in these days of Russia and Putin and so on.
"When you speak to people who voted leave they say the same. And there is still the 48 per cent of people who voted remain as well and they want it to be successful too.
"All told whatever your views on what's happened over the last few weeks, the truth is we want to have a good relationship with Europe – I certainly do and so do the majority of the British people do and that is part of my job to deliver."
Mr Davis said that the Brexit deal would be the 'foundation' of Britain's future economic success which would pave the way for investment in public services.
Dudley North is a top Tory target seat. Labour's Ian Austin, who has help the seat since 2005, is defending a 4,181 vote majority. Bill Etheridge is the UKIP candidate.
