Clark says he won’t rule out an extension for Britain

A CABINET Minister left the door open to extending Britain’s transition out of the European Union as backbenchers warned Theresa May the deadline must remain intact.

Under the current timetable the implementation period is set to end in December 2020. But Business Secretary Greg Clark refused to rule out an extension to the arrangements.

He said: “What we need assess is how long it would reasonably take to put in practice and then it seems to me that any reasonable person would have to be guided by the facts and the evidence.”

Mrs May will bring together her Cabinet on Friday at Chequers to thrash out details of a white paper setting out the UK’s plans for areas such as trade.

Brexiteers oppose the PM’s favoured option of a customs partnership with the EU, which would see the UK collect tariffs set by the EU customs union on goods entering the country on behalf of the bloc.

Their “max fac” alternative would, rather than scrapping customs checks, uses technology to minimise the need for them.

Both options have been dismissed by the EU.

Mrs May faced a warning from backbenchers not to extend the transition period beyond December 2020.

Morley and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns, who quit a junior government role to campaign on Brexit, delivered a letter to the PM on Friday signed by more than 30 Tories calling for her to show “courage and leadership”.

The group said: “Our departure must be absolute.

“We must not remain entangled with the EU’s institutions if this restricts our ability to exercise our sovereignty as an independent nation.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he believed the transition period after Brexit would be extended.

He said: “I’ve got a feeling it might go beyond that.” Asked if he would be happy with that, he replied: “Yes.”