Mayor backs May’s vision of Brexit White Paper will give manufacturers hope, claims elected West Midlands leader
CONSERVATIVE mayor Andy Street has backed Theresa May’s controversial Brexit deal, saying the proposals are essential to keep West Midlands businesses strong.
He offered support to the Prime Minister as she battles to get the proposals through Parliament.
The proposals were recently agreed by the Cabinet at Chequers but were then attacked by David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary, and Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, who both resigned.
But Mr Street said: “I support the Chequers agreement because it gives manufacturers what they need.”
Midland-based carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, which employs 40,000 people across the country, warned earlier this month that it could not continue to invest heavily in the UK unless the Government agreed a Brexit deal which offered “free and frictionless trade with the EU and unrestricted access to the single market”.
The firm is not just worried about continuing to sell cars in EU countries. Like many other major manufacturers, it has a complex supply chain which involves buying parts from firms across Europe, and the system only works because it is able to import the parts into the UK quickly and without restrictions.
Asked if he was confident the final Brexit arrangements would meet the concerns of Midlands manufacturers, Mr Street said: “I’m more confident of that after the Chequers agreement than before. I think they’ve done a really good job. “I have been speaking to senior ministers to stress the importance of getting a deal that meets the concerns of West Midlands businesses. “If the Chequers agreement is put into effect then that will have been achieved. Twenty four per cent of West Midlands GDP comes from exports. It’s eight per cent in London. So it really matters to us that we get this right.”
Mrs May is facing opposition from some Conservative MPs who say the proposed Brexit deal concedes too much to the EU. It remains to be seen whether the proposals will be accepted by other EU nations.
Mr Street is seen as a potential rising start in the Conservative party, which is to use its annual conference in Birmingham, beginning September 30, as a chance to boost his profile further.
He will be the “host” of the conference, making appearances inside and outside the main conference hall.