Jobs warning over Brexit rebellion
Leavers hit out at ‘Project Fear’ tactics
Thousands of British jobs could be at risk if the Cabinet does not back Theresa May’s desire for a close customs relationship with the EU after Brexit, the Business Secretary has suggested.
THOUSANDS OF British jobs could be at risk if the Cabinet does not back Theresa May’s desire for a close customs relationship with the EU after Brexit, the Business Secretary has suggested.
Greg Clark’s stark warning was immediately backed by Tory Remainers like Amber Rudd and business groups such as the CBI and British Chambers of Commerce.
But leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at “Project Fear”, which critics branded the Remain campaign during the EU referendum.
Mr Clark also opened the door to extending a transition period on customs with Brussels until a new arrangement was in place to replace the EU customs union which Britain will leave.
The issue goes to the heart of the Cabinet battle over the shape of Britain’s relationship with the EU after Brexit.
A 6-5 majority of senior Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Brexit “war Cabinet” last week spoke out against her preferred hybrid “customs partnership” plan, which would see the UK collect tariffs on behalf of Brussels.
Mr Clark, who backed Mrs May’s plan, denied being close to tears at Wednesday’s meeting and insisted her proposal was still on the table, as a Downing Street source dismissed as “nonsense” suggestions that his appearance and support from pro-EU Tories and business organisations had been orchestrated from Number 10. Mr Clark told BBC1’s Andrew
Marr Show: ““I have never been so clear-eyed in my life about this but I do feel very strongly for this reason – it is absolutely right that we should be leaving the customs union but what we replace it with is of huge importance.”
He said Toyota, which employs 3,500 people at plants in North Wales and Derbyshire, was deciding where its next plant should be in Europe.
The nature of the business meant “50% of the parts come from out of the country”, every hour, day and night.
And the customs partnership model means being able to “import them without any checks at the border, without any paperwork”, Mr Clark said.
“You need to have in mind the future jobs but also the very important jobs for people today.”
Brexiteers were fierce in their opposition to Mrs May’s plan.
In a sign of the bitter divisions at the top of Mrs May’s ministerial team, a Cabinet source said: “Greg appears to be re-fighting the referendum; this is Project Fear 3.0.
“Instead of listening to vested interests he should pay more attention to the 17.4 million who voted to take back control of our trade policy.
“The customs partnership has been roundly rejected – making threats to keep it alive is just desperate.”