Kyle said he had toured EU capitals and found strong support for keeping Britain in Europe’s industrial fold.
“I’ve been in Sweden recently and there was a very strident message coming from the Swedish Prime Minister that it was not constructive or conducive to the best interests of the European Union,” he said.
“I was in the Czech Republic last week. Similarly, they don’t think this is a good idea. I think this is about trying to figure out what the best way forward is,” the minister added.
“Is it logical in this world that we make it more difficult for businesses across Europe to be harnessing the best of our respective markets? Britain has some standout features in our economy, in our society. They should be being harnessed by the European Union, not rejected.”
Turning to the EU reset, the minister said the timing of the next U.K.-EU summit now had a “landing zone,” though he did not elaborate on the exact date — expected to be late June or early July.
“The urgency with which governments need to act to seize the global opportunities at the moment, I don’t think has been like this certainly in my lifetime,” he said. “Maybe not in the post-Second World War period. There is huge disruption which is intimidating for people, it’s unsettling for business, and it could be overwhelming for governments.”
“But amidst disruption, there is also opportunity,” Kyle added, saying the U.K. must strengthen its ties with Germany and the wider EU.