Stop and Brexit begin, May is told
also repeatedly said that “Brexit means Brexit” but declined to give a “running commentary” on preparations for the negotiations.
But the report warned the lack of detail on Brexit plans could lead to uncertainty about the future among businesses. It adds: “The current position of the outside world trying to divine the Government’s position from the personal musings of individual ministers is creating unhelpful uncertainty – frustrating those looking for an early exit, perplexing those with whom we have to negotiate, and unsettling those looking to do business with the UK.”
The report also says another 520 civil servants will have to be recruited to negotiate Britain’s exit at a cost of £65million a year.
Whitehall had responded quickly to the EU referendum vote for cutting ties with Brussels quickly, the report acknowledged.
But there was still a “gaping void of information” about the Government’s negotiating position, it said.
Mrs May and her ministers needed to “swiftly” set out their plan and timescale for reaching a negotiating position. The report added: “The Prime Minister’s silence about how she intends to reach an initial negotiating position is proving problematic. She clearly stated that she will not be providing a ‘running commentary’ on Brexit negotiations; undoubtedly there will be aspects of the content of negotiations which need to remain confidential until they are agreed.
“But in the short term, Theresa May needs – at the very least – to clarify the process and timescales through which she intends her government to agree the UK’s initial negotiating position.
“This will need to involve both effective external engagement – not traditionally a strength of the UK Civil Service – and strong internal coordination, to ensure that her government develops, and sticks to, agreed positions.” Richard Tice, chairman of the Brexit-backing pressure group Leave Means Leave, said last night: “The Government has been given a huge opportunity through Brexit to re-engage the UK with the rest of the world.
“British business is performing very well post-Brexit but investors, businesses and consumers now need some certainty about Brexit timing. If not then confidence to invest will reduce. Hopefully more detail will be given next week when the Prime Minister addresses the Conservative Party conference.”
Responding to the report, a Government spokesman said: “The relevant departments are properly resourced and working closely to undertake detailed work on the challenges and opportunities of Brexit across a comprehensive range of areas. They are also listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible to build a national consensus around our negotiating position.
“This process will not be brief or straightforward and we’re not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of these negotiations.”
Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Brussels is plotting to reverse the UK’s vote to leave the EU and keep Britain in.
The alarm was raised after former Europe minister Peter Hain, a leading Remain campaigner, told a fringe meeting at Labour’s conference in Liverpool that EU bosses are prepared to ditch their rules.
He said: “I think that the Europeans may change their minds. I don’t think that Article 50 will be final. Nobody in the European Union wants us to leave.
“We are the second largest economy, we contribute a lot to their budget, they would bite our hands off if we changed our minds.”