I want a deal – but we must be prepared to leave without one

WATcHING talented colleagues walking away from the cabinet table is never easy. I am sorry to see Amber Rudd and Jo Johnson decide to do so in recent days. I respect their decision, but the Prime Minister has been clear from the start that we must leave on October 31 – deal or No Deal.

In the words of the musical Hamilton, I intend to stay ‘in the room where it happens’ to ensure that together with my colleagues, the Prime Minister has the necessary support to fulfil his priority of agreeing a deal with the EU as we leave by October 31.

Before I joined the Government, I spent months working as part of the Prosperity UK commission on Alternative Arrangements to the Irish backstop. Our work demonstrated that there were other ways to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Using these alternative arrangements is now key to getting that deal with the EU which will allow an orderly exit on October 31 and finally enable the 2016 referendum to be fulfilled. I know from conversations inside Government that our proposals are being taken on board and this work is happening in earnest.

An overwhelming majority of conservative MPs and party members backed the Prime Minister’s deal or No Deal plan when he was elected Leader of the conservative Party in July. Three years on from the referendum, we need to find a way for our country to come back together and bring the volatility of British politics to a close now.

It is no surprise that the public are exhausted and fed up. I share this frustration – they voted to leave three years ago and it is our duty to deliver on that result. People want certainty and that is why Jeremy corbyn’s constant political games must stop. Mr corbyn’s Surrender Bill last week is yet again another opportunistic tactic to undermine the Prime Minister’s negotiations and will just see endless delays. People now want Brexit delivered so we can focus on our domestic agenda.

And I agree that the No Deal option has to be kept on the table. While we are all clear that a deal is preferable, I know from my years as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer that no two sides to a negotiation can be compelled to agree a deal. That is why ministers and departments have spent all summer increasing our preparations to ensure the UK is properly ready for a No Deal on October 31 if that eventuality unfolds.

BUT the whole Government, from the Prime Minister down, is clear that getting a deal with the EU is the priority. That is why he visited Berlin and Paris last month and will be seeing the Irish prime minister today. It is why the Prime Minister’s envoy, David Frost, is spending so much time in Brussels setting out the UK’s position. It is why the Brexit Secretary, Stephen Barclay, is visiting EU capital cities too.

With our support, the Prime Minister now needs to show he’s serious about getting a deal. More transparency, such as that laid out by the Brexit Secretary yesterday, on the discussions is needed to ensure everyone is left in no doubt about how a deal is possible and the effort which is being put in to making sure a deal happens. Government will face the same pressures around disclosure in our future free-trade agreement negotiations.

I want the Prime Minister to succeed in his priority of finding a deal with the EU. A deal will mean that the ambitious Queen’s Speech programme we have planned can be the main focus after three endless years of Brexit – what a relief that would be for everyone.