The Trade Secretary addressed the Times’ Red Box event at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester. She revealed Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the US are keen to strike a trade deal with the UK. She said: “We have a number of very enthusiastic trading partners who are very keen to get started on negotiations.
“My top four priorities are Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the US and all of those are very keen to get on with it.
“There’s negotiations to go through first, but we are going to be tough negotiators.
“This is because we are in a very strong position, we’re striking our first trade deals in 45 years, we’re the fifth largest economy in the world.
“We have a lot of opportunities that those other nations want to access, though it’s got to be in our interest to strike a deal.”
Ms Truss also said the UK will need to take negotiations with the EU on Brexit up to the deadline to force the changes needed to a get deal that will pass through parliament.
She said: “The reason we didn’t get further concessions in advance of March 29 is that we didn’t get close enough to the deadline …
“Deadlines work and we need to take it to that deadline to make the changes we all need.
“That is what we are doing.”
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“He’s also somebody who believes in equality right across the board.
“One of the things I am very proud of is I have been appointed women and equalities minister and the approach Boris takes – which I think is the right approach – is starting from the point of view of how do we tear down barriers that are stopping people getting on in life.
“I think that is his approach on gender equality, it’s also his approach on LGBT as well.”
Asked if she would look into any allegations in her brief as women and equalities minister, Ms Truss said: “As I say, I have been in meetings all day.
“I’ll need to look into that in more detail.”
Mr Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, said earlier today that Brexit would definitely take place on October 31.
He said: “Yep, definitely.”
When asked how Britain’s EU exit could take place, given that there is a law which orders the prime minister to seek a delay to Brexit if parliament has not approved a deal, Mr Cummings said: “Well, we shall just have to see won’t we.”
