AS BRITAIN grapples with impending exit from the European Union, it will fall to a crack-team of negotiators to secure good terms of 'divorce'.

It will be unfamiliar territory for the Government, which has not struck its own trade deals since the 1970s.

But driving a hard bargain will be key as the UK competes with the interests of the other 27 states it is leaving behind.

Fortunately for the Civil Service, says Oxford professor Emily Jones, academics have been studying tactics in trade negotiations already.

Professor Jones, of Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, previously looked at how developing countries can get good deals from bigger economies but will now be applying this concept to Britain as it squares up to the EU.

"The key question is when to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty," she says.

"That is the formal process for leaving the EU and once we do that, we have two years to redefine our relationship.

"There will be two parts, the exit process and then the next stage will be what it looks like afterwards including striking new trade deals with the EU.

"The Civil Service will be working incredibly hard behind the scenes now on this."

Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure from some foreign leaders, such as French president Francois Hollande, to trigger Article 50 sooner rather than later.

But Prof Jones said she may want to wait: "Our negotiators will need to find chinks in the EU's armour. There will be countries that will lose the most from not having a good deal with us and we need to get them to make as much noise as possible.

"Getting intelligence on the positions of the different countries is important. When we trigger Article 50 they will agree among themselves a negotiating position and it will be hard for us to find out what that is.

"Behind the scenes, ahead of that, we need to do everything we can to influence countries to act in our favour."

Once negotiations have started, Prof Jones says a respectable leader will be essential: "I would put in charge someone who will be taken very seriously in Europe, such as someone involved in the nuclear deal with Iran or the Northern Ireland peace agreements.

"It will need to be a person whose reputation precedes them in the corridors of the European Commission."

To strengthen Britain's hand, the government should also line up alternative deals it could sign the day it quits the EU formally, she added.

"The weaker party in any negotiation is always the one who would face the highest cost from walking away.

"We can minimise the cost of not getting a deal with the EU by having trade negotiations going on elsewhere, for instance with China or India, so it has an incentive to give us a good deal.

"There need to be credible options and they should be mooted in the media."

And finally, she says we will need to recognise that the price of control over immigration – a key demand of the Vote Leave campaign – may be high.

Prof Jones said: "Some of those who campaigned for Brexit suggested we would not be in a disadvantaged position.

"But while we need to recognise the EU loses as well if trade is disrupted, the costs will be higher for us.

"That said, it is in no one's interest for that to happen and there will be groups of countries that would lose out more than others.

"Germany, for instance, is our biggest trading partner, but it cuts both ways because they will also be worried about creating a precedent.

"If Britain is given soft terms, it might encourage other countries to try and leave as well.

"With cool heads though, we should be able to find a way forward."