Some constituents have recently written to me with
their concerns about a no deal Brexit and the Prime Minister’s approach to
Brexit.
Ideally we would have left the EU with a favourable
deal by now. I understand the natural concerns around the implications of no
deal Brexit, and my preferred position remains to be that we leave with a
better deal that neither undermines the integrity of the union nor leave us in
a position where we are locked in a customs union with the EU indefinitely.
I know that the new Prime Ministers has his
concerns about no deal and that his preferred position is also that we leave
with a deal on 31 October.
However I have also been clear that no deal is
better than a bad deal. There is a lot of scaremongering going on by some, but
I believe that whatever the outcome the UK will not only cope by thrive outside
of the EU. I am pleased to see that the Government is continuously making the
public aware of the preparations that have been put in place for a no deal
outcome should it be necessary. Indeed, should Parliament continue to fail to
agree on a Deal, then No Deal is the default legal position.
A great deal of work has already taken place to
prepare for a no deal Brexit and it would be wrong to present this as some sort
of cliff edge we are not prepared for. Only recently Sir Mark Sedwill, the
Cabinet Secretary, said that “we have got the government in pretty good shape
and public services in pretty good shape for no deal”. The new Prime Minister
has also announced that he is instructing Whitehall to ramp up no deal
preparations.
What we need right now, above all, is the political
will and courage from both sides of the channel to return to the table and seek
a more agreeable deal. Otherwise we must reserve the right to walk away from
the table. Taking away the option of leaving without a deal would greatly
undermine our ability to drive a hard bargain with our European counterparts.
We are living in uniquely challenging political
times. We face a political crisis. Boris is the right leader for us in this
moment, not only in delivering Brexit but also preventing the very real threat
of an extreme left-wing government under Jeremy Corbyn.
