LONDON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- British politicians returned to the Houses of Parliament Monday with the fallout from the decision to quit the European Union top of the agenda.
It was a baptism of fire for the MP (member of the parliament) David Davis, making his debut on the front benches as Theresa May's newly appointed Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, also known as the government's Brexit Minister.
In his first major speech as Brexit Secretary, Davis reiterated the message from Theresa May that there will be no attempt to stay in the EU by the back door, no attempt to delay, frustrate or thwart the will of the British people and no attempt to engineer a second referendum.
Instead, he told MPs that his newly set up department already has over 180 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, "and we are still growing rapidly with first class support from other government departments."
Davis said: "The people have spoken in the referendum and all of us, on both sides of the argument, must respect the result. That is a simple matter of democratic politics. Naturally, people want to know what Brexit will mean.
"Simply, it means the UK leaving the European Union. We will decide on our borders, our laws, and taxpayers' money.
"It means getting the best deal for Britain -- one that is unique to Britain and not an 'off the shelf' solution. This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe -- but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade in goods and services."
But pro-remain politicians waiting to hear details of what Brexit means, were disappointed if they expected full details.
"Is that it," they shouted across the chamber of the House of Commons, protesting that Davis had failed to hand over more details.
During questions from MPs, Davis gave the strongest hint that a single market deal with Europe would be improbable if the EU demanded Britain giving up control of its borders as a condition.
Davis added: "Brexit is not about making the best of a bad job. It is about: place for Britain in the world. There will be new freedoms, new opportunities, and new horizons for this great country."
"We can create a more dynamic economy, a beacon for free trade across the world. We can create an immigration system that allows us to control numbers and encourage the brightest and the best to come to this country," he said.
Moreover, he stressed, "We do not see Brexit as ending our relationship with Europe. It is about starting a new one."
"We want to maintain or even strengthen our co-operation on security and defense. It is in the interests of both the UK and the EU that we have the freest possible trading relationship. We want a strong EU, succeeding economically and politically, working with Britain in many areas of common interest," he said. "Securing a deal that is in our national interest does not and must not mean turning our back on Europe. We are leaving the European Union -- we are not leaving Europe. We want a steadfast and successful European Union after we depart."
Davis said May herself will lead Britain's exit negotiations and will be supported on a day-to-day basis by the Department for Exiting the European Union.
"We will leave the European Union, but we will not turn our back on Europe. We will embrace the opportunities and freedoms that will open up for Britain," concluded Davis in his statement. During the debate Davis was flanked by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, already dubbed by the British media as "The Three Brexiteers".
