Backlash at May’s plan for Brexit transition

Ministers claim Cabinet never signed off on strategy that could limit free trade deals

THE Cabinet did not agree to Theresa May’s negotiating strategy for the Brexit transition period before it was sent to EU nations, senior ministers have told The Daily Telegraph.

The official strategy, published yesterday, prompted a backlash after it raised the prospect of an open-ended transition period after Brexit.

It made no mention of the Prime Minister’s pledge to end free movement after Britain leaves the EU in March 2019, while Eurosceptics also raised concerns that it could limit Britain’s ability to strike free trade deals.

The Telegraph understands that Cabinet ministers were told about the strategy paper less than 24 hours before it was published, and several of them were incensed by its contents.

It is likely to increase tensions at today’s Brexit Cabinet sub-committee meeting at Chequers, which is intended to reach an agreement on the future of Britain’s relationship with the EU.

Allies of Liam Fox, the Trade Secretary, said that the document was a “draft of a draft” and had not been agreed by the Cabinet.

Senior Tory Eurosceptics said the document was “deeply troubling” and told Mrs May she must reject it.

Jacob Rees-mogg today warns in an article for The Telegraph that the document would lead to “Brexit in name only” and was a “perversion of democracy”. He says: “It has been disowned by ministers as not representing government policy.

“Concern over lost control over migration was a significant issue in the referendum. Whoever compiled this document proposes no changes to it for an indefinite period and would thereby let down millions of voters.

“To avoid the perversion of democracy that Brexit in name only would be, it is essential that we are able to sign trade deals in the fixed transition period.”

Iain Duncan Smith, another Eurosceptic MP, said Cabinet ministers had told him the document had not been signed off on. He said: “I am deeply concerned that a policy document turns out not to be an agreed government position.”

A Cabinet source said: “We were given just 24 hours’ notice on this, it was presented to us as a fait accompli. There was no Cabinet sign-off. It’s fair to say people are pretty angry about it.”

A government spokesman said that the Brexit sub-committee had signed off on the transition policy in January. However, it ndid not agree to the detailed legal text sent to the EU.

In an attempt to defuse the row, government sources last night said that Mrs May was preparing to set Dec 31 2020 as the transition period end date. Officials have conceded that Britain will “in all probability” accept this as the EU’S preferred date.

Until now, the Government’s official stance has been that transition will last for “around two years”. The exact date is expected to be agreed at a meeting of the European Council next month.

A Whitehall source said: “We don’t see the transition period going beyond 24 months and in all probability, given that the EU are firm on December 2020, that’s probably where we will end up.” The British negotiating team has written to Brussels asking for

detailed clarification on why it favours the end of December 2020. However, Eurosceptic Tory MPS raised concerns about the difference between the Government’s publicly stated position and the negotiating document.

On the transition period, the document says: “The UK believes the period’s duration should be determined simply by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems that will underpin the future partnership.

“The UK agrees this points to a period of around two years but wishes to discuss with EU the assessment that supports its proposed end date.”

It also states that the UK will have to accept EU laws during transition.

David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, said: “As the UK will no longer be a member state, we have been clear that we intend to pursue discussions on our own free trade agreements, although not bring them into effect until after the implementation period, this is reflected in the text of the document.”