Hilary Benn, the Labour chair of the Commons Brexit committee, has describing ruling out any customs union with the EU as “a profound mistake”, my colleagues Peter Walker and Rajeev Syal report.
For several weeks there was a lot of speculation that the government was planning a softer Brexit than expected, something that would involve a form of customs union with the EU after Brexit, so that goods could continue to be traded across the border without tariffs and, crucially, without other non-tariff barrier obstacles like rules of origin paperwork. This speculation came to a head at the end of last week as Westminster geared up for crucial meetings of the cabinet’s key Brexit committee on Wednesday and Thursday this week when the issue of what the UK actually wants is due to be settled for good.
On Friday last week Theresa May did not rule out the UK remaining in some form of customs union with the EU. Asked about this by Sky’s Faisal Islam, she replied:
What I want to do is ensure that we have got the best possible trade arrangements with China and with other countries around the world.
But this stance did not go down well with the Tory Brexiters. Yesterday the Sunday Times’s splash (paywall) started like this:
Theresa May will face a coup that would install a “dream team” of “three Brexiteers” if she persists with plans to keep Britain in a customs union with the European Union, Tory MPs warned last night.
By Andrew Sparrow.
Full story at The Guardian.
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