Iain Duncan Smith blasts the UK’s ambassador to the EU over claims Brexit could take a DECADE
The former minister said Sir Ivan Rogers was "completely out of his comfort zone"
IAIN Duncan Smith has slammed Sir Ivan Rogers for saying Brexit could take up to a decade.
The former cabinet minister said he was "completely out of his comfort zone" and was only talking about the worst case scenario.
Sir Ivan, the UK ambassador to the EU, said that a deal could take up to a decade to finalise, meaning it won't be finished until the mid 2020s.
Mr Duncan Smith hit back at his comments, branding them "pointless".
He said: "The idea that this is going to take up to 10 years is the absolute worst case. No-one talks the other way round –that you can do this in two years."
The former Work and Pensions Secretary attacked Sir Ivan, who played a part in helping David Cameron to negotiate with the EU, said he had no idea what he was on about.
"We went to a negotiation with the EU and came back with nothing," he blasted. "They are not to be treated like Gods who know the ins and outs of this.
"We are past the days when these officials come back and tell us what they know. The truth is that nobody knows. We are leaving the European Union."
He also said that an agreement could be impossible to ratify with other EU states.
Sir Ivan is said to have warned ministers that other European leaders expected Britain to put forward a free trade deal, rather than continued access to the Single Market.
Yesterday the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, said that the Government had yet to reach a decision on whether it wanted to remain in the Single Market or not.
Sir Ivan said in October that the deal might not survive ratification by all the other member states.
His warnings that a deal may take longer than the allocated two year time-slot could add pressure to calls for a transitional deal - an interim arrangement while diplomats work out the details.
Former European Trade Commissioner Lord Mandelson said this morning that the suggestion that a trade deal between the UK and EU could take as long as 10 years "rings true".
Theresa May has said she will trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year, and EU chiefs have said she only has around 18 months to reach an agreement.
Tory MP Dominic Raab said this morning that the EU would be hit the hardest if it did not secure a deal with Britain.
"Let's not be consumed by Sir Ivan's gloomy pessimism, let's set out the case for a strong Brexit and a good relationship with the EU," he told Radio 4.
"The economic reality is dawning on our friends that actually, there is a win-win here," he added.
Downing Street said he was passing on the views of other states, and that it did not recognise the views.
No 10 today indicated the Government believes it will be possible to complete both the "divorce deal" and a new trade agreement within the two-year time frame set out under Article 50 of the EU treaties.
";The intention is that we will have a deal within the time frame we have set out which sees us exit the EU and allows us to trade with and operate within the single market," said a Number 10 spokesman.
The news comes as Theresa May embarks on her second EU summit today - but will be shunned from some of the evening talks.
No 10 said Mrs May had not sought to be present at the dinner, where leaders will also discuss mass migration, Ukraine, Nato and the EU economy.