Greater Tory majority will ensure Brexit is easier, claims think tank

AN increased majority for the Tories at the General Election will help give Britain the upper hand in Brexit talks, an independent think tank has concluded.

The Centre for Policy Studies has said that the EU’s “existential challenges” mean it has a lot to lose from an acrimonious divorce.

The paper also questioned how well the European Commission’s negotiating position would stand up to long-term tensions.

Crucially, it argued that the opposite was true for a Conservative government, which it predicted would secure an increased majority in next week’s General Election. It noted: “It is therefore mistaken to take the EU’s negotiating position at face value, while criticising the UK’s position as being weak and vulnerable.”

The paper, entitled The Existential Challenges Looming For The EU, pointed out that German and Italian elections pose a huge problem for the stability of the EU. Wider challenges faced by the Union included economic issues relating to a possible Italian sovereign default, high youth unemployment, resistance to moves towards fiscal union, tensions over immigration and refugee quotas, plus Euroscepticism.

The paper claimed: “A ‘no deal’ scenario would have consequences for the EU’s financial stability and would significantly ration resources, not to mention have a huge impact on many of its exporting industries.

“It would also impact some EU countries far more than others, which could lead to increasing tensions within the bloc.

“This will give the European Union as much of an incentive to come to a reasonable accommodation on the Brexit talks as it does for the UK.”