Customs union warning to May
POLITICS: Theresa May has been warned the Conservative Party would “not be forgiven for a generation” if it experiments with its post-Brexit trade policy. Nicky Morgan and Ken Clarke were among the senior pro-EU Tories who urged the Prime Minister to retain the option of a customs union between the UK and EU, amid concerns over peace in Northern Ireland.
THERESA MAY has been warned the Conservative Party would “not be forgiven for a generation” if it experiments with its postBrexit trade policy.
Nicky Morgan and Ken Clarke were among the senior pro-EU Tories who urged the Prime Minister to retain the option of a customs union between the UK and EU, amid concerns over the impact of major changes on peace in Northern Ireland.
Former Education Secretary Mrs Morgan advised the Government against ignoring the “evidence for peace” in Northern Ireland and undermining business and financial security, with Mr Clarke arguing the UK would suffer “terrible damage” if customs union arrangements were not replicated.
Ripping up existing trade deals could be “deeply damaging” to jobs and communities, Labour’s Yvette Cooper also said as she opened the backbench business debate on customs and borders.
The chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, a West Yorkshire MP, warned time was running out for Parliament to “help shape the negotiations” and to hear from the Government about what it is going to do.
MPs approved the non-binding motion, which called on the Government to include as an objective in Brexit negotiations the option of establishing “an effective customs union” between the UK and EU, without a vote. The debate was attended by very few pro-Brexit MPs.
The Prime Minister faces a much sterner test next month when the much-delayed Trade Bill returns to the Commons.
Speaking during the debate, Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Mrs Morgan said: “Professor Patrick Minford, who many members on my side of the benches will say some people should listen to, said very clearly when asked about the free-trade agreements and the free-trade policy we are currently going to pursue, ‘We don’t have any precedents for this’.
“This country has been asked to experiment at other people’s pleasure with a free-trade policy where we do not know what the costs will be for constituents and businesses in this country.”
But Labour Brexiteer and former Minister Kate Hoey said the EU was “seizing on divisions” in the Commons to pursue demands.
Earlier, Home Secretary Amber Rudd risked fuelling controversy over Britain’s Brexit deal by suggesting that the question of UK membership of the customs union remained open. The prominent supporter of Remain in 2016 declined to say that the UK was certain to leave the customs union when pressed on the issue at a Westminster lunch.
Saying she was “not going to be drawn” on the issue, Ms Rudd said the Government was “still working on” its position, which would require further discussions with Cabinet colleagues.
She later sought to play down the significance of her remarks, tweeting: “Of course when we leave the EU we will be leaving the customs union.
“I wasn’t going to get into ongoing Cabinet discussions about our future trading relationship.”