Britain has ‘no clue’ on Brexit deal: Airbus CEO

london — Britain’s government has “no clue or at least no consensus” over reaching a Brexit deal, Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said on Friday.

During a company presentation delivered in London, Enders repeated the European planemaker’s stark concerns made last month should Britain exit the European Union without a deal.

His comments came as British Prime Minister Theresa May seeks on Friday to finally unite her warring ministers behind a Brexit plan and unblock negotiations with the EU.

Asked for his views on the government’s handling of negotiations with Brussels, Enders said: “They seem to have no clue, or at least no consensus”.

“We believe that the UK should at least stay in the customs union, we believe that the UK should stay in the regulatory bodies,” he said.

Enders insisted this was “a minimum that would be required... at least to minimise the damage” to Airbus and the wider industry.

Airbus, which directly employs nearly 15,000 people in the UK, warned last month that the country crashing out of the bloc without a deal would be “catastrophic” and force it to consider its investments.

“Put simply, a ‘no deal’ scenario directly threatens Airbus’ future in the UK,” chief operating officer Tom Williams said in June.

We believe that the UK should at least stay in the customs union, we believe that the UK should stay in the regulatory bodies Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus

May’s government holds out the possibility of walking away as a negotiating tactic, but says she expects to get a deal before it exits the bloc on March 29 next year.

With time running out, reports suggest May is proposing to keep and commit to future EU rules on trade in goods, an outcome intended in part to fulfil a pledge to avoid customs checks on the border between Northern Ireland in the UK and Ireland.

By contrast, the government will reportedly accept “reduced market access” for services — Britain’s dominant sector — in return for greater flexibility. —