British cabinet backs PM May’s Brexit proposal

British Prime Minister Theresa May secured a cabinet agreement on Friday for plans to leave the European Union, overcoming splits among her ministers to win support for “a business-friendly” proposal aimed at reviving stalled Brexit talks.

After an hours-long meeting at Chequers, the rural Buckinghamshire residence of British prime ministers, Mrs May seemed to have persuaded the most vocal Brexit campaigners to back her plan to press for “a free trade area for goods” with the European Union and maintain close business ties.

The agreed proposal, which also says Britain’s large services sector will not retain current levels of access to EU markets, will not come soon enough for Brussels, which has been pressing Mrs May for a detailed vision for future ties now two years after the UK voted to leave the bloc.

But the hard-won compromise may yet fall flat with EU negotiators.

By committing to ending free movement of people, the supremacy of the European court and “vast” payments to the bloc, Mrs May could be accused of “cherry-picking” the best bits of the EU by Brussels officials.

Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, welcomed the agreement, but added on Twitter: “We will assess proposals to see if they are workable and realistic.”

Mrs May said: “Today in detailed discussions, the cabinet has agreed our collective position for the future of our negotiations with the EU. Now we must all move at pace to negotiate our proposal with the EU to deliver the prosperous and secure future all our people deserve.”

In a document outlining the government’s position, ministers said they had agreed that an earlier proposal made to the EU “needed to evolve in order to provide a precise, responsible and credible basis for progressing negotiations”.

Instead, they had agreed to negotiate for a “free trade area for goods”, one that would see Britain having a “common rulebook for all goods” in a combined customs territory. This would allow Britain to set

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator welcomed the agreement but said ‘will assess proposals’

its own import tariffs and seal new free trade deals.

They also agreed that parliament would have the power to decide whether to follow EU regulations in the future, and the government would step up preparations for the eventuality of a “no deal” exit.

But for both sides of the Brexit debate the agreement was not enough.

John Longworth, a chairman of campaign group Leave Means Leave, accused Mrs May of personally deceiving Brexit campaigners. “May’s Brexit means BRINO – ‘Brexit In Name Only’ – a fake Brexit.”

Pro-EU Labour MP Chuka Umunna described it as “yet another behind-closed-doors stitch-up that would leave us all worse off”.