London

CHANCELLOR of the Exchequer Philip Hammond will press British companies to try harder to seize opportunities from Brexit, promising in return that the government will heed their concerns over the split with the UK's biggest trading partner.

Mr Hammond will use a Monday dinner speech in London organised by the Confederation of British Industry to promote a Brexit deal based on the needs of the economy. He will also call on executives not to use the looming divorce as an excuse to delay investment and recommend that they increasingly seek out contracts beyond the European Union.