Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hammond: No EU deal would be bad for UK
THERESA May’s Brexit plans were branded a “mess” as the negotiations were due to start. And Philip Hammond blasted the Prime Minister’s idea we could quit the EU without an agreement. The Tory Chancellor said: “No deal would be a very, very bad outcome for Britain. “But there is a possible worse outcome and that is a deal deliberately structured to suck the lifeblood out of our economy over time.” Mr Hammond added: “What we put in place may not be a single arrangement that endures for ever, it may be an arrangement which lasts for a couple of years before we get to the long-term agreed status quo. “It’s a statement of common sense that if we are going to radically change the way we work together, we need to get there via a slope, not a cliff-edge.” Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said: “The PM has got us into a complete mess. “She has got no mandate here and she has no authority abroad. Things have to change. Her approach has alienated our allies in Europe.” But Brexit Secretary David Davis, who holds opening talks with EU negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels today, said he can deliver a deal “like no other in history”. He said: “We want both sides to emerge strong and prosperous, capable of projecting our shared European values and demonstrating our resolve to protect our citizens.”