Disastrous Brexit deal

SIR – The Withdrawal Agreement is disastrous. It ties us to European Union rules without any say in drawing them up or any possibility of independent arbitration.

New trade agreements would be restricted. We would continue to pay £10 billion a year. There would be no control over EU migration. There would be no tangible benefits to show from Brexit.

The backstop is equally bad. It binds us to EU standards and regulations, including limits on state aid. Unelected committees will manage relations between the United Kingdom and the EU, without accountability to Parliament, voters, our courts or even international legal arbitration.

We can only escape if a replacement agreement meets EU demands. This is likely to be equivalent to the backstop itself, which is thus essentially mandatory and permanent.

The Political Declaration states that any final trade deal should “build and improve on the single customs territory provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement”, ruling out an independent trade policy to develop our rapidly growing markets. This outcome means years of uncertainty, friction with the EU and aggravation of political divisions. It is not a solution: it is a prolongation of the agony.

A no-deal exit, while requiring adjustments, offers immediate opportunities. It would allow us to cut unnecessary tariffs, reduce costly regulation, save on budget contributions and sign beneficial trade deals.

The Government should propose a binding undertaking to begin free-trade negotiations after leaving, and in the meantime accept side deals already offered by the EU. If this offer is refused, we should leave with side deals alone and with no transition period: “WTO Plus”.

The Government and the House of Commons must follow a firm and rational policy serving the national interest. The current Withdrawal Agreement does not do this. Nor do deceptive tactics to sabotage Brexit, which undermine our economic future and threaten national stability and cohesion. Sir Richard Aikens

Visiting Professor

Queen Mary University of London and King’s College, London

Baroness Deech

Dr Ruth Lea

John Mills

Chairman, JML Chairman, Labour Leave Professor Richard Tuck

Frank G Thomson Professor of Government, Harvard University Sir Andrew Wood

Former UK ambassador to Russia and 29 others; see telegraph.co.uk