LONDON: Britain may have to endure a period of political crisis before a compromise can be found between Brexit hardliners and the need to protect the economy, former global trade chief Pascal Lamy told AFP on Tuesday. “The more Britons move away from the EU the more it will cost them,” Lamy, a former director-general of the World Trade Organization, said in an interview.

“The compromise between moving away enough to satisfy Brexit supporters but not so much that the British economy pays the price is not available at the moment.

“There needs to be work within the government and perhaps even a period of political crisis, before such a compromise can appear,” said the 70-year-old, who also served as a European trade commissioner.

Lamy said his experience in world trade negotiations in the past had shown him that they were “horribly complex” and usually take longer than people think.—AFP