Five times Brexit secretary Liz Truss cautioned against Brexit

Liz Truss is now UK’s new Brexit Secretary, negotiating with the EU following predecessor David Frost’s resignation.

The Tory minister previously supported the Remain campaign in the EU referendum, and was caught in some embarassing – but funny – situations.

Here are five of her not-best Brexit moments.

Remain in the EU tweet

In 2016, four months before the EU referendum, Truss tweeted her support towards the UK staying in the European Union.

“I am backing remain as I believe it is in Britain’s economic interest and means we can focus on vital economic and social reform at home.”

Needless to say, Truss is now aiding the Brexit process, after switching her position on the issue when she was appointed as chief secretary to the Treasury by former prime minister Theresa May.

Encouraging women to vote Remain

Ahead of the EU referendum, Truss was among a dozen female ministers who urged women to back Remain in the EU referendum.

Truss said at the time that the reason why she wanted the UK to stay in the bloc was for the benefit of her daughters.

She said: “I don’t want my daughters to grow up in a world where they need a visa or permit to work in Europe; or where they are hampered from growing a business because of extortionate call costs and barriers to trade.”

Awkward Brexit interview on live radio

Truss had a disastrous Brexit interview with LBC in 2019, when she struggled to answer questions on Brexit and austerity.

At the time, she insisted it would be a “very, very, very bad idea” to have a second referendum on Britain’s membership in the EU.

But presenter Eddie Mair reminded her many people have changed their minds since 2016 – and this is where it gets awkward.

He said: “What about people who have changed their minds between then and now?”

Truss replied: “I don’t think people have changed their minds.”

Mair then reminded her that she has changed her mind.

Smiling, Truss answered: “I have, that’s true. In the other way though.”

No idea what no-deal Brexit means

In a 2019 interview with BBC Radio Live, Truss admitted she had no idea how a no-deal Brexit would work – without breaking the law.

Presenter Emma Barnett highlighted that, at the time, negotiations with the EU seemed to go in a no-deal direction.

“29 days to go and you don’t know how we’re going to manage to leave without a deal even though you say we’re going to do that”, Barnett told a dumbfounded Truss.

Stilton cheese deal with Japan

Last year, Truss reportedly hit a stumbling block in her post-Brexit trade talks with Japan after wanting the Japanese to import more British stilton cheese.

It came as a deal with Japan was almost agreed, but it was paused by Truss’s demand that stilton makers are given preferential treatment in Japan in order to get a better deal than what Japan has with the EU.

According to the Financial Times, Truss did so in order to get a “symbolic win” for the UK and show what it can achieve outside the EU.

Related: Tim Farron: ‘I was more Eurosceptic than Liz Truss when she was Lib Dem’