London — Britain will try to keep as many aspects of its EU membership in place as possible during a transition period of up to three years after Brexit, UK finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday. However, Hammond told BBC radio that EU nationals would have to register with the authorities starting from the expected departure date of March 2019 as the government comes up with a new immigration system. "Many things will look similar" and goods will continue to flow between Britain and the EU in "much the same way as they do now" even after the scheduled departure date of March 2019, he said. "I think there’s a broad consensus that this process has to be completed by the scheduled time of the next general election which is in June 2022." Hammond, who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU in last year’s referendum but now supports withdrawal, is seen as an advocate of a more moderate "soft Brexit" in contrast to more hardline ministers.
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