Hammond Shifts Brexit Tone as He Dodges Questions on May
- U.K. will leave the EU’s customs union, chancellor says
- He refuses to say how long prime minister can stay in job
May Under Pressure as Brexit Talks Begin
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said Britain should aim for a gentle departure from the European Union, an explicit challenge to the confrontational strategy adopted by the now weakened Prime Minister Theresa May.
British officials travel to Brussels Monday to formally start the EU departure negotiations, amid confusion over whether the government is going to change its priorities after failing to win voter endorsement in the June 8 election. At home, May is struggling to stay in office as her Conservative Party questions both her election strategy and her handling of a London tower block fire that has left scores dead.