Brexit deal is dead and buried, say Shropshire MPs
The deal is dead and buried – that’s the message today from Shropshire’s leading Brexiteer MPs.
The Government’s EU Withdrawal Bill was defeated by a majority of 230 in a devastating blow to Theresa May.
The Prime Minister, who today faces a no confidence vote, saw 118 Tories vote against her.
It was the biggest rebellion within her party in modern times.
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After the vote, she called for cross-party talks and urged MPs to get the issue settled for the sake of the British people.
But North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson and Shrewsbury and Atcham’s Daniel Kawczynski said they hoped last night’s dramatic events would finally lay to rest any further attempts to get the deal through Parliament.
Mr Paterson, a former cabinet minister, insisted Brexit was still on – but said the Government should now look towards a looser relationship with Europe.
He said: “The Prime Minister should go back to the European Union and ask for the deal that EU leader Donald Tusk offered last year, which is a free-trade deal along the lines of the one that has been struck with Canada.”
He said in the meantime, Britain should now prepare for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
Unfounded
Mr Paterson said this week’s comments from Jean-Marc Puissesseau, the director of the port of Calais who said he was fully prepared for a no-deal Brexit, showed that fears of chaos were unfounded.
He added: “It will be like the Millennium Bug, there will be some disruption, we shouldn’t be naive about it, but the vast majority of businesses I talk to are prepared for it.”
How your MPs voted:
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, Conservative Party, voted against
Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative Party, voted against
Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, Conservative Party, voted for the deal to go through
Telford MP Lucy Allan, Conservative Party, voted against
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, Conservative Party, voted for the deal
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, Conservative Party, voted against
Mr Paterson said while it was unlikely that a new trade deal could be agreed by March 29, Article 24 of the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade would enable an interim agreement to allow the free movement of goods.
“At the moment, the law is we will leave at 11 o’clock on March 29, as long as the Government doesn’t bottle it.
“At the moment, MPs can table all sorts of exciting amendments and debates, but it doesn’t change the law. Only the Government can change the law,” he added.
Mr Kawczynski also voted against the deal.
He said the Government should now prepare for a ‘managed’ no-deal scenario that would minimise the disruption of leaving.
“We have to get to the stage where we are working with our neighbours to ensure there is minimal disruption in terms of transportation at our ports,” he said.
“We will get through, it’s not ideal, but we’ll get through a no-deal, and we can then negotiation with the EU on an on-going basis.
“Britain is the fifth largest economy in the world, one of a handful of permanent members of the UN Security Council, and a major military power which has made a huge net contribution to the EU budget.
“If we can’t get favourable terms, what chance has any country?”
Telford MP Lucy Allan also voted against the deal, saying it failed to honour the result of the 2016 referendum.
But Glyn Davies, the MP for Montgomeryshire, and Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, voted to support Theresa May’s deal.
He said: “I want the Prime Minister to go to Brussels and point out the withdrawal agreement as it is will not go through and we need some reassurance, particularly in terms of Northern Ireland.”
