Clarke slams May’s Brexit deadline law as ridiculous
TORY rebel Ken Clarke attacked Theresa May’s plan to enshrine in law the time Britain leaves the EU.
She risked harming the national interest to “throw a sop” to Brexit-backing Cabinet pair Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, he said.
Mr Clarke added that with talks stalled a deadline was “utterly foolish”.
He was cheered by MPs on all sides as he said the deadline was “ridiculous”.
Tory Dominic Grieve said a deadline would “add nothing to the strength of the Government’s negotiating position”.
DEFEAT
It leaves Mrs May facing potential defeat as the EU Withdrawal Bill moves through the Commons.
As MPs began line-byline scrutiny of the Bill, the Government emerged unscathed from yesterday’s first set of votes.
MPs predict Brexit could cause “massive queues” at Dover if a new customs system is not in place before we quit the EU.
Food could be left to rot if a no-deal Brexit led to customs officers trying to cope with the resulting 500% increase in workload.