Rudd calls no-deal Brexit unthinkable after Davis says UK can ‘walk away’
Remain-supporting Home Secretary contradicts her Cabinet colleague’s stance on discussions with EU
A NO-DEAL Brexit is “unthinkable”, Amber Rudd said yesterday, contradicting the Brexit Secretary hours after he said the UK had “the right to walk away”. Speaking in the Commons, David Davis said the prospect of no deal should be on the table “for negotiating reasons” as he reiterated the importance of being able to leave talks if the only deal on offer is bad for Britain.
He told MPS the Government was “straining every sinew” to secure a comprehensive deal but it was vital that in a negotiation “you always have to have the right to walk away – if you don’t, you get a terrible deal”.
However, during a select committee appearance just an hour later, the Home Secretary said such an arrangement would be “unthinkable” because it would be bad for both sides.
The prominent Remain campaigner later denied claims she had contradicted her Cabinet colleague, but her remarks sparked outrage and one Con- servative MP publicly tweeted his frustration. James Duddridge said: “Far from being unthinkable, a no deal would be my preferred [option] to achieve a fast, clean and boring Brexit. The sooner we get on with it the better.”
The prospect of leaving the union without a deal has become more realistic in recent weeks after talks stalled and pro-brexit MPS made public calls to leave without paying a large bill. However, sources believe moderate Tories who do not want to crash out of the union could work with Labour to block it using a Parliamentary vote, secured via an amendment to the Brexit Bill.
Meanwhile, the head of the Home Office admitted the Army could be deployed to protect the border if Britain leaves the EU without a Brexit deal.
Philip Rutnam said he could not rule out using the military if no deal were agreed because the Government did not employ enough staff to cope. His remarks came as Ms Rudd told MPS on the Home Affairs select committee that there would be a deal struck between the UK and the EU, particularly on security matters, because “it is so much in their interest as well as ours to have something in place”.
The Home Secretary and her most senior civil servant were being quizzed by the group of cross-party MPS over the preparations for leaving the union.
Asked by Labour’s Yvette Cooper whether he could guarantee the Border Force was ready for the UK to leave the EU without an agreement, Mr Rutnam said: “We will continue not only to seek to reach a deal but keep our contingency planning under review.” He added: “I think it would be unwise to rule anything out but it seems to me clear that any use of the military would be a last resort.”
The Government is hoping to strike a deal with the EU so that current trading arrangements could continue and wants a new system of immigration that accounts for EU nationals who want to visit the UK for short periods of time. Ms Rudd told the committee that all three million EU nationals who live in the UK would be free to stay after Brexit, but refused to give the same guarantee if no deal is struck – simply stating it would be “unthinkable” that they would be asked to leave.