Owen Paterson hails 'constructive' Brexit meeting with PM
Owen Paterson MP and his fellow eurosceptic members of the ERG have met with the Prime Minister as she attempts to plot a route forward on Brexit.
The North Shropshire Conservative described today's talks as "constructive" and praised Theresa May for a sensible approach to her attempts to break the Brexit deadlock.
He said: "I have just had a meeting with the Prime Minister, a number of us were called in, it was very constructive and I think it is very sensible of the Prime Minister to be taking views to see how a Remain-dominated parliament can deliver the vote of 17.4 million people to leave."
Mr Paterson would not be drawn on the detail of the discussions, which followed Theresa May's call for MPs to work "constructively together" to find a way forward.
Her appeal came after she saw off a no-confidence vote by 325 to 306, the day after her plan for leaving the EU was delivered a crushing defeat by MPs.
Mr Paterson was scathing in his criticism of the current opposition to a 'no-deal' scenario, saying: "The campaign against no-deal is a further hysterical project fear against leaving at all.
"No-deal is becoming synonymous with leaving."
Mr Paterson said he had spoken to a number of firms, which are all ready for the country's exit from the EU.
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He said: "I talked to a huge business this morning who are prepared and are looking forward to the UK leaving and do not want us to delay or want any fudge.
"The businesses I am talking to are prepared."
The former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said that three things should now happen in preparing for Brexit.
He said: "Firstly we should immediately accelerate and make more intense progress to be prepared for World Trade Organisation terms.
"In parallel immediately we should go back to the EU and say the backstop has got to be replaced by a protocol with the Northern Ireland border and take up the offer of a free trade agreement with the EU that was offered in March.
"We obviously do not have time to get the deal negotiated by March but if we made sufficient progress we could use article 24 of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and continue trading on existing terms while we negotiate."
