In an interview on her trip to China Theresa May told Sky political editor Faisal Islam that she will take Britain out of the Customs Union – even if that does make Britain poorer – as her own government’s leaked studies have shown.
The Prime Minister was keen to stress the trade agreements she had secured on her visit for British businesses, but the Sky political presenter immediately pointed out that these were agreements that had been made with Britain as part of the EU still.
When asked about the embarrassing government- commissioned reports that had shown the UK economy will suffer whichever of the Brexit scenarios takes place, the PM again insisted that the reports that were not meant to be made public had not been validated by ministers.
The Government commissioned study found that the economy will grow more slowly outside the EU even if the UK manages to strike a final deal with Brussels.
The nation’s income would be 5% lower in 15 years time with a free trade agreement with the EU.
It will be 8% lower if the UK departs from EU regulations in a no deal scenario.
And 2% lower if Britain manages to keep single market membership.
Yet Theresa May was still insisting today that Britain will be leaving the Customs Union.
It has been a bad week for the PM, with Tory donors deserting her, the Conservative Party clashing,
And in the Lords debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, Tory peer and former Brexit Minister Lord Bridges launched a scathing attack on Theresa May and his former Department for Exiting the EU.
“The implementation period will not be a bridge to a clear destination. It will be a gang plank into thin air,” Lord Bridges told his colleagues.
European Union officials spent all of two minutes in Brussels this week agreeing on the terms to set Britain for the proposed transitional phase after the formal Brexit date.
The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier declared Britain must continue to follow the EU’s rules while being excluded from the decision-making process.
And referring to the leaked Government report that revealed the UK will be worse off in all of the main Brexit eventualities, May’s Conservative colleague Justice Minister Phillip Lee insisted:
“It’s time for evidence, not dogma, to show the way. We must act for our country’s best interests, not ideology & populism, or history will judge us harshly. Our country deserves no less.”
MORE:
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/country-deserves-no-less-tory-minister-denies-mays-claim-brexit-damage-studies-can-ignored/01/02/
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/number-millionaires-rockets-britain-poorest-households-see-wealth-diminish/01/02/