May warned: It’s time to make a choice
THERESA MAY has been warned by Michel Barnier that the “time has come to make a choice”, as he said the UK will face “unavoidable barriers to trade” if it leaves the customs union after Brexit.
Mr Barnier, the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, issued the warning to Mrs May during a visit to Downing Street.
It came after the Prime Minister ruled out staying in any form of customs union with the EU following intense pressure from Eurosceptic backbenchers to clarify her position.
The issue will be debated at the first of two critical meetings of a Cabinet sub-committee tomorrow, amid con- cern that Britain’s ability to strike and implement new trade deals after Brexit could be limited.
The Daily Telegraph understands that senior Eurosceptics in the Cabinet are not convinced by Mrs May’s apparent climbdown.
Yesterday, Mr Barnier said: “The conditions are clear, very clear. Everyone has to play by the same rules during this transition.
“Without the customs union, outside the single market, barriers to trade and goods and services are unavoidable. The time has come to make a choice,” he told a news conference.
Unfazed by Mr Barnier’s comments, David Davis said that the talks had been “very constructive ... as always” as he maintained that the UK was committed to agreeing a comprehensive free trade accord while still having the opportunity to strike other deals across the rest of the world.
“It’s perfectly clear what we want to do,” he added. “There’s no doubt about it, we are leaving the customs union but we are aiming for a good future for Britain.
“Our negotiating team start straight away … on an intensive period of negotiation, and we are confident that we can get that political agreement at the March Economic Council.”
Later this week, the Cabinet’s Brexit sub-committee will meet twice to discuss what Britain wants from a future trade deal with the EU.