A Brexit deal must not be abandoned

WELSH Government Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford did not hide his true feelings in Whitehall yesterday after a key meeting with ministers from across the UK about Brexit.

He is in no doubt that leaving the EU without an exit deal would be a disaster for Wales.

In eurosceptic circles few tears would be shed if the present round of talks broke down. The so-called “no deal” option which sees the UK abandoning this deadlocked process would deliver a definite break with the institutions and regulations of the EU.

There is more anxiety in such quarters that the UK could end up with a Swiss-style deal, whereby we technically leave the EU but have such a close relationship through scores of bilateral deals that people might notice little difference. Our membership in the EU means that our laws would already be precisely aligned with those of the 27 remaining states so this option could be sold as the path of least disruption.

A “no deal” Brexit would bring plenty of disruption and Mr Drakeford is adamant that people are “foolish and mistaken” if they think it is something worth pursuing.

The UK would still need to negotiate a host of arrangements with the EU if it wanted to avoid the risk of epic and expensive congestion at our ports and continue to use the European Arrest Warrant. We would also have to scramble to negotiate arrangements for UK citizens who live abroad to access healthcare, and the challenge of securing an open border with the Republic of Ireland could destabilise the peace process if bungled.

These are the same issues which we are supposed to be tackling during the Article 50 process which will come to an end in March 2019. It is hard enough to make progress while still in the EU; it might be all but impossible if we were coping with the economic chaos that could result if the motor industry faced tariffs, delays and red tape and key elements of the financial sector headed overseas.

Turmoil in the economy would be coupled with political upheaval. Instability could only kill investment and ordinary men and women would suffer.

The Resolution Foundation has highlighted how the poorest households in the country would be hardest hit by any increases in the cost of shopping. Our negotiating team should think about them during the breaks in Brussels meetings.

Eurosceptics argue that true Brexit necessitates leaving the single market and the customs union. They have every right to defend their priorities but we must never value ideological purity over the livelihoods of our most vulnerable citizens – and that applies just as much for the EU negotiators.

This is not the time to try and punish Britain for having the audacity to leave. Tariffs would hurt European employers and uncertainty about the rights of EU citizens would cause distress.

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