Hammond walks out as think-tank urges UK to call off Brexit
PHILIP Hammond faced embarrassment yesterday when an EU-funded think-tank that advises the Treasury suggested Britain would be better off if the Brexit result was reversed.
The Chancellor walked out of a press conference without taking questions when a report was unveiled by the Organisation for Economic CoOperation and Development.
Angel Gurria, OECD general secretary, said that overturning the referendum would have a “positive” and “significant” impact on UK growth.
But Brexit campaigners accused the group of trying to hijack Britain’s divorce from the EU.
Mr Hammond attempted to distance himself from the report that was released at the Treasury.
He left a joint news conference with Mr Gurria after making some brief introductory remarks, saying: “This represents the OECD’s views, not Her Majesty’s Government’s views.”
Mr Hammond made his exit and said: “With apologies, I must ask you excuse me.” Treasury officials later issued a statement saying: “We are leaving the EU and there will not be a second referendum.”
Botched
Brexit campaigners pointed out that the Paris-based think-tank has received more than £23million from the EU since 2007.
Gisela Stuart, of Change Britain, said: “It is laughable that the EUfunded OECD, at a time that is the most helpful possible for Brussels, has the gall to intervene and call for Brexit to be reversed.
“These EU elites refuse to accept that 17.4 million people voted to take back control – and meant it.
“The British public didn’t believe the OECD’s scaremongering before, and nor should they start now.”
The OECD has also been blamed for a string of botched economic forecasts. Former Tory Cabinet minister John Redwood said: “The OECD should stick to trying to get their economic forecasts right – we don’t need their political interference. It is a pity they don’t understand democracy.”
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg added: “The OECD is a leading advocate of Brexit pessimism that has made a series of politically motivated and erroneous forecasts.”
Ukip MEP Gerard Batten said: “The international Remain campaign is ramping up. The OECD has allowed political ideology to triumph over economic facts for too long.”
Mr Gurria compared the experience of leaving the EU to the German bombing offensive against British cities during the Second World War.
“Stay the course – what was that thing that Churchill said? Stay calm and carry on. This is the advice now as it was then, in the Blitz,” he said at the launch of the OECD 2017 Economic Survey of the UK.
Meanwhile, David Davis has warned Brussels that its tactic of using time pressure to “get more money out of us” will not work.
The Brexit Secretary told MPs yesterday the Government “is straining every sinew” to get a deal but will be prepared for the alternatives.
He also accused Remainers – who claim that “no deal” would be a catastrophe – of starting Project Fear 2 in a bid to scare the British people.
Mr Davis made a statement after EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier last week refused to move the talks on to trade and future relationships.
Time is running out for a deal and the Government is expected to quit the talks if progress is not made by the end of the year.
Leave Means Leave, backed by 50 Tory MPs, believes that “no deal is the best deal” and will help the UK economy grow £150billion a year. Mr Davis said the UK is “well prepared” to start discussions with the EU on future trading relationships.
However, he said it was “still some way” from securing a new partnership and there was a need to retain the right to walk away from a terrible deal.
A series of Labour MPs yesterday tried to claim that “no deal” was a disaster. Wes Streeting claimed that many firms with supply chains in the EU were going to be making “irreversible decisions” before Christmas.
But Mr Davis labelled the comments as “fantasy economics”. He agreed with Tory MP Shailesh Vara when he said: “Those who threaten economic Armageddon are, in effect, engaging in Project Fear 2.”