LONDON - Matt Hancock, one of the Conservative candidates vying for Prime Minister Theresa May's job, said that he would renegotiate the future relationship with the European Union and would explore the possibility of changing the withdrawal agreement.
The EU has said that the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with May, which she failed to pass three times in the UK parliament, is not up for negotiation, although the non-binding agreement about future relations after Brexit is amendable.
"They're very clear that we can have discussions about... the future arrangement," Hancock told Sky News. He said "we shall see" on whether the EU stuck by its vow to keep the Withdrawal Agreement closed to further talks.
"We need to leave the EU with a deal before 31st October. I still think that is deliverable," he said.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout and David Milliken; editing by Michael Holden) ((alistair.smout@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 7064; Reuters Messaging: alistair.smout.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
