Theresa May must secure Brexit deal or risk ‘chaotic and damaging’ EU departure, say MPs
3 min read
The UK faces a “chaotic and damaging” Brexit if it fails to secure a withdrawal deal with the EU, an influential group of MPs has warned.
The Brexit Select Committee argued crashing out of the bloc without a deal would damage the UK economy and leave businesses facing “huge uncertainty".
In a hard-hitting report, the MPs warned the Prime Minister that her Chequers Deal would not break the deadlock between the UK and the rest of the bloc.
The report highlighted how key parts of Mrs May's proposal, including the customs strategy and the plan to share goods regulations, had already been rejected by the European Union, and it urged the Government to urgently adapt its blueprint.
The warning comes after Chancellor Philip Hammond sounded the alarm over the economic consequences of a no-deal departure, saying it would “put at risk the substantial progress the British people have made over the last 10 years in repairing our economy".
Mrs May has so far refused to back away from her Chequers plan, telling MPs they must support it or face a disorderly exit from the bloc.
Brexit Select Committee chair Hilary Benn said: “Time is now running out to secure a Withdrawal Agreement. Without one, there would be no transitional period, and this would leave businesses and citizens facing great uncertainty in just seven months’ time. There are, however, significant problems yet to be resolved."
The report also urged ministers to prioritise the creation of a "workable" backstop to the Irish border issue, saying it was the key stumbling block to securing a deal with the EU.
Mr Benn said: “The need for a backstop to keep open the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was agreed last December by both sides and is therefore fundamental to any Withdrawal Agreement. The EU has now said it has no objection to a UK-wide backstop ‘in principle’ and this is to be welcomed.
“But the Government has not yet set out how it will maintain an open border without imposing customs and regulatory checks. It must now do so.
“We’re urging the Government to concentrate on getting a deal to ensure the continuation of tariff and friction free trade which is so important to the future of our economy. If the Chequers plan is not acceptable as a basis for that, then the Government will need to find a different approach urgently."
The Chequers proposal includes plans for a 'Facilitated Customs Arrangement' which would use technology to work out import tariffs in advance and see the UK collecting some payments on behalf of the EU.
It also suggests the UK and EU share a single market for goods - to ensure friction free trade and to ensure the Northern Irish border remains open.
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