The government’s new Brexit secretary made an unfortunate blunder when he managed to get the date of the UK leaving the EU wrong.
Stephen Barclay, who was parachuted into the job last month after the resignation of Dominic Raab, said on Monday that the UK is leaving the EU on March 31 next year, rather than the actual date of March 29.
Mr Barclay said: "It is the legal process in Europe that a permanent relationship, a permanent trade arrangement, cannot be reached until we have left.
"And, I am committed to ensuring, and the Prime Minister is committed to ensuring, that we do deliver on that - we do leave the EU on March 31.
"And, by that point we are then in a position to be able to agree a trade agreement. But we can't do that before we have left."
Mr Barclay managed to get his dates right when he urged MPs to back the government's Brexit deal in a crunch Commons vote next week.
Asked if the vote would be cancelled in the face of widespread opposition, Mr Barclay said: "No, I think the vote will happen on Tuesday."
Prime Minister Theresa May warned Mr Barclay, when he was appointed last month, that she would be in charge of negotiations.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
