Finance ministers from the world’s top 20 economies meet in the Chinese city of Chengdu this weekend. One of them in particular will find himself in the hot seat.
Britain’s new finance chief, Philip Hammond, will face a grilling from his G20 counterparts on the subject of Brexit. When will it happen? Will it be rough or smooth? A clean break? Or only a partial departure?
For now, Hammond and his government have few answers to these questions, and it could be several years before a clear outline of Britain’s new relationship with the European Union takes shape. This weekend, the G20 ministers will mull over the possible damage that Brexit could do to the global economy and what steps they should take to minimize that damage.