Now there’s a surprise (cont.)
Tory anger as EU’s hardline Brexit negotiator rules out May’s Chequers customs proposal
The eU’s chief Brexit negotiator emphatically rejected Theresa May’s controversial Chequers customs plan last night, triggering fresh anger from Tory MPs.
In a tense press conference with new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab yesterday, Michel Barnier said the eU ‘cannot and will not’ accept the Prime Minister’s proposal for the UK to collect tariffs on behalf of Brussels.
The hardline stance infuriated Conservative MPs, who immediately urged Mrs May to rule out any further concessions to Brussels and instead begin work on a straightforward trade deal.
The Prime Minister’s controversial customs plan was designed to enable frictionless trade to continue with the eU without the need for Britain to remain in the customs union. It led to the resignation of Boris Johnson, David Davis and a string of junior government figures.
But yesterday Mr Barnier said it was also unacceptable to the eU, telling reporters: ‘Maintaining control of our money, law and borders also applies to the eU customs policy.
‘The eU cannot and will not delegate the application of its customs policy and rules, VAT and duty collection to a nonmember who would not be subject to the eU governance structures.’
Mr Barnier, who had criticised the proposals last week, hinted instead he would prefer the UK to stay in a customs union with the eU, saying he was ‘open’ to discussing the idea with Mr Raab. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker said it was now clear the eU was trying to keep Britain in both the customs union and the single market via membership of the european economic Area – a situation that would end hopes of new trade deals and make the UK a ‘rule taker’.
Mr Baker, who quit over the Chequers deal, said: ‘ I anticipate that this is the beginning of the process of driving the UK towards the unacceptable combination of membership of the customs union and eeA.
‘The Prime Minister and the Chequers agreement have ruled that out, which means we will soon face a fork in the road. The choice will be whether to drive towards an advanced free trade deal or finally capitulate towards Brexit in name only.’
Fellow Tory henry Smith warned that the UK now faced being ‘sidelined’ and urged the Prime Minister to follow the lead of Donald Trump, who succeeded in wringing concessions from the eU after threatening a trade war.
‘The Government position has been to offer generous terms then give in further to eU demands,’ he said. ‘Similar to President Trump’s stance, now Britain must use our trade, security and global advantage for a strong Brexit negotiating stance or we will be sidelined.’
Government sources last night tried to play down the significance of Mr Barnier’s comments, pointing out that he remained committed to agreeing an ‘unprecedented’ trade deal with the UK.
But diehard Remainers said Mr Barnier’s comments showed the Chequers proposals were ‘dead’. Former Labour cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw said the Tory bloodletting over the proposal ‘hardly mattered because it was not acceptable to the eU in any case’.
France’s europe minister Nath- alie Loiseau said the UK faced a ‘brutal divorce’ if it tried to leave the eU without a deal but could avoid damage if it decided to remain a member.
Former Tory cabinet minister Priti Patel said the Government was facing an ‘orchestrated’ push to force it to abandon Brexit.
‘We know what the eU is doing,’ she said. ‘Whenever there have been referendum results in the past that they don’t like they have forced people to vote again. We are now facing an orchestrated campaign to frighten the British public into changing their minds.’
Mr Barnier yesterday said there had been a ‘real step forward’ on a deal on future security co-operation, where eU member states want continuing assistance from the UK. But he said finding common ground on trade was still proving ‘more difficult’.
Mr Raab signalled that he is looking for compromise from Brussels in response to Mrs May’s White Paper, noting that the eU was able to take an ‘innovative’ approach in the past. he added that a trade deal could be struck by October with ‘ambition and pragmatism and energy on all sides’.
Mr Barnier said the two sides still remained some distance apart on the Irish border issue.
And he flatly rejected Mr Raab’s suggestion last week that the UK might tear up its promise to pay a £39billion ‘divorce bill’ unless it got a good deal on future trade.
NOW THERE’S A SURPRISE! Last Saturday’s Mail