Leo Varadkar Quotes

If Britain votes to leave the European Union, then that could have huge implications for the entire island of Ireland and, given all the predictions, would run counter to the democratic wishes of the Irish people.

The E.U. must see us prepare for life outside of the E.U. without a deal for them to take us seriously.

A Canada-style deal for the whole of the UK results in a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. For that reason, it has never been acceptable to the EU without a permanent hard border down the Irish Sea.

If the U.K. wants to leave the E.U., we need to stay in the single market.

I hate this argument that says little Britain or something outside, or Britain is part of a wider Europe. We can both be within our trading relationships within Europe but we can also be a fantastic global trader.

Most British people are keen to remain in a European free trade zone; and most EU states are keen to keep us there, because we buy from them more than we sell to them to the tune of £40 million per day.

I am an optimist about the UK. We have been involved in trade with our European partners, which we will always be doing whatever this relationship is. We are a member of the EU. That gives us benefits. But we have to figure out where that is going. In the world, we are a global trader already.

If we leave the E.U., we will regain control of our own money.

We want the Netherlands to leave the E.U., join EFTA and, like Switzerland, negotiate bilateral trade agreements with the E.U. and the rest of the world.

Theresa May has made a decision that we want our economic future to remain close to Europe: it's the biggest single market in the world; it's right on our doorstep.

Our idea is to make the U.K. a privileged partner of the E.U.

The negotiations on the future of the U.K. and the E.U. must be led... in the interest of our citizens.

No one voted for a Brexit that will tie us to the E.U.'s customs rules and prevent us striking meaningful trade deals of our own.

It will be crucial the E.U. and the U.K. maintain the closest economic relationship possible.

Both the U.K. and the E.U. have made a sincere commitment to the people of Northern Ireland: there will be no hard border. Equally, as a U.K. government, we could not countenance a future in which a border was drawn in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K.

Having spent six years as Europe Minister, I am in no doubt about the technical challenge Brexit presents lawmakers.

I do not doubt that there are many countries that will wish to trade with the U.K. post-Brexit, but understandably they will wait to see what the U.K.'s ultimate relationship with Europe will be.

As the U.K. prepares to leave the E.U., we have an opportunity to leverage our reputation for integrity and fair play as we establish new trading relationships.

What I would rather see, what I think would be the best outcome, is a very close relationship between the United Kingdom and the E.U.

We've been slagging off the E.U. for decades, and now we've gone and voted to leave. And if anyone thinks they are going to offer us some great trade deal as we walk away, they are living in la la land.

If we have Brexit, we don't know what we will get.

If Britain doesn't stay in the Single Market or Customs Union, we are very much in favor of a free trade agreement between the U.K. and Europe. We don't want Britain to be punished for its decision to leave, and it is not in our interests for Britain to be punished because we may be the ones who lose out as much if not more than them.

The EU has made it very clear that for frictionless trade and no tariffs on goods there is a mechanism for achieving that, but there are consequences. There are trade-offs that will have to happen.

As somebody who campaigned to leave the EU, I believe we have a bright future ahead of us- but we have to get it right.

I would like a UK fully engaged in Europe, but I can't decide in place of the British. I see that for the moment they want to be more in retreat.