After Carolyn Fairbairn, the Director General of the CBI, called for the UK to remain in a customs union with the EU, our Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said that this poured cold water on the Government’s plans:
This is an important intervention from the CBI, and pours yet more cold water on the government’s idea that they can rustle up a trade deal that in anyway compares to the economic benefits of being in the EU and maintain the red lines they have set.
The Conservatives are making a monumental mess of Brexit. The approach Theresa May has adopted so far is creating mass uncertainty for people and businesses and is designed to please her party’s right wing not to deliver what is best for the country. She must now change course.
Liberal Democrats want to see a vote on the deal she strikes with the EU, so that the people can have their say on whether it is good enough for Britain.
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11 Comments
Tom Brake: “CBI pours cold water on Govenrment’s (Sp.) Brexit plans. ”
Must have had a heavy night and needs the cold water.
Typos notwithstanding, Mr Brake may be right in saying that “The Conservatives are making a monumental mess of Brexit”. Some of us might also add that some people are making a monumental mess of OPPOSING Brexit!
Why not wait and see what, if anything, comes out of the next round of negotiations and then have a go if they turn out to be as dire as some, including the bosses’ union (aka the CBI), predict?
One deliberate element of the Tory’s Brexit mess is delay. “Wait and see” is exactly what they want everybody to do, while they keep squandering it. No deal will emerge in time for Parliament or the public to react adequately. The time for opposition is now.
“We need to wait” problem with that is time is running out. Tick Tock goes the clock and all worried Brexiteers can say is “It will be alright on the night” or “Tinkerbell will wave her wand and we will all fly”. I think reality has started to worry them, but accepting they voted for a mess is a blow to their pride they’d rather not take. Eventually they will have too or forever revert to blaming the evil EU and remoaners “Stabbed in the back we where”, bless.
I must be thick or something; but how do you stop Brexit at this moment in time? Of course the concept can still be opposed. However I assume that the next stage of negotiations will take place, whatever the opponents of Brexit do or say. As for the so called deadline, who knows? That’s the real problem, just as nobody knows what will come out of the negotiations. ‘Stable door’ and ‘horse’ come to mind.
John,
If you are going to use a metaphor “Opening Pandora’s Box” is far more apt. The brave Brexiteers opened the box and all manner of ills flew out, now we are all desperately looking into the box hoping against hope that “hope” will finally crawl out.
There is an opportunity to reverse Brexit but that would mean a large number of politicians across the spectrum developing a spine and in some cases accepting they where wrong, not a likely scenario but a possible one. Failing that we need them to crack on with getting the best deal they can, but again that will come at some cost to them, so I can see why they’d rather “wait and see” and then when it all goes wrong blame the EU.
Frankie,
Everything you say is true BUT how do you get round the fact that an admittedly small majority voted Leave in the referendum? For the sake of democracy if nothing else I feel that you have got to allow the negotiations to take their course, however frustrating this may prove to be.
My problem is that, although I voted to remain – and would do it again – I am extremely sceptical about the direction in which the EU still appears to be moving. If you are going to get the less rabid Brexiteers to change their mind you have got to honour the result of the referendum, however flawed it may have been. That surely has got to mean that you see what, if anything, emerges from the next round of negotiations. Who knows? Perhaps our stance may have awakened doubts that are shared amongst some of the other 27 members.
In some respects T.May’s Brexiteers have been consistent all along, they want to leave the ‘EU’, they want to retain close relationships with the EU members as if the UK were a member of the club and want to belong to something that looks remarkably like the Single Market etc.
Thus, it would seem the only real challenge is convincing the EU to rename both itself and the Single Market, causing the UK to ‘leave’ the EU and join a new organisation; a bit like we did in 1993, when the UK ‘left’ the EEC and joined the ‘EU’…
But Peter there is no way I can stop the negotiations taking there course. We can all offer advice and shout don’t stick your fingers in the plug socket David, but he won’t pay any attention and will. The negotiations will continue but because a bunch of deluded people voted for back to the 50’s (in many cases the 1850’s or earlier) doesn’t mean I have to stop saying it’s a stupid decision and the way your negotiating is even more stupid. Do i believe the point of view I put forth will prevail, probably not but at least the brave Brexiteers can’t say no one warned us, by keeping quite you allow them that option.
I really miss the regular surveys of Party opinion that we used to have but I say that with no idea of how much work they involved, Im certainly not volounteering.
By & large I think LDV is very impressive, especially if you compare it to Labour List, The Labour equivalent.
My thanks to everone involved.
If I can move the agenda slightly and ask why are Labour supporters and MPs urging their leadership to change tack and campaign to remain in the Customs Union and Single Market rather than alter their allegiance to the Liberal Democrats?