‘Upside of no-deal outweighs problems’

FEARS OF drugs and food shortages and ports being shut in a nodeal Brexit are mere “hiccups”, former Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs.

Admitting that a no-deal Brexit on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms would mean “practical issues”, Mr Davis said the advantages would outweigh the problems.

The MP for Haltemprice and Howden in East Yorkshire said he had negotiated the two-year transition period until 2021 to give the UK time to adjust, dismissing concerns including the deaths of patients due to medicine being unavailable.

“It was me that actually negotiated the implementation period element of this and for that reason, precisely because it’s not without hiccups, it’s not without issues. There will be practical issues in the first year of a WTO outcome. But that does not overwhelm the big advantages, the massive advantages, that having the freedom to negotiate our trade deals would give us.”

Remainer Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) pulled the former Minister up on his claims, pointing out the pharmaceutical industry had recently warned MPs of “catastrophic results” and suggesting his record “already showed his predictions to be inaccurate”.

Referring to “enormous amounts of black propaganda”, Mr Davis rejected warnings drugs such as insulin would run out. THE BREXIT process should be halted to allow time for a General Election or another referendum if MPs reject Theresa May’s deal, Sadiq Khan is urging.

The London Mayor is using a visit to Ireland to argue against the prospect of a “devastating” no-deal Brexit.

Mr Khan, a prominent proEU campaigner during the 2016 referendum, suggests the UK should withdraw the Article 50 notification which began the countdown to the March 29, 2019 Brexit date to allow more time to “resolve this mess”.

In a speech in Dublin yesterday he said: “The worst possible outcome – which remains a grave concern given the political uncertainty in Westminster – is that the UK leaves the EU with no Brexit deal at all.

“This would not only be devastating for London’s economy, but would actually hurt businesses and economies across Europe, including here in Dublin, and increase the chance of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

“In my view, the prospect, the very notion, of a no-deal Brexit must be taken off the table by the British Government.

“It’s just too dangerous to leave as a possibility.

“That’s why, today, I’m calling on Theresa May to withdraw Article 50 if the British Parliament rejects her deal next week, which is looking extremely likely.

“This move would be the single best way to guarantee that we avoid falling off the cliff edge.

“It would stop the clock that is ticking down towards a no-deal Brexit, and it would provide the breathing space to decide how we resolve this mess.

“If the British Prime Minister refuses to take this precautionary step – we would continue heading towards a no-deal Brexit in just a few months’ time.”