Meriden MP leads cross-party call for Theresa May to rule out no-deal Brexit - The Solihull Observer

Meriden MP leads cross-party call for Theresa May to rule out no-deal Brexit

Solihull Editorial 7th Jan, 2019 Updated: 8th Jan, 2019   0

A CROSS-PARTY group of more than 200 MPs including West Midlands MPs has demanded the Prime Minister Theresa May rules out a no-deal Brexit.

An open letter from 209 MPs was spearheaded by Meriden Conservative MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Erdington Labour MP Jack Dromey.

Coventry MPs Jim Cunningham and Colleen Fletcher have both added their signatures.

It calls for a ‘mechanism’ to prevent a no-deal scenario which would be particularly devastating for UK industry, the MPs claim.




The campaign comes ahead of a pivotal vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal which was rescheduled to next Tuesday, January 15, after the PM cancelled the previous date last month.

Dame Caroline, an ardent defender of Theresa May, has repeatedly called for assurances that jobs in the West Midlands’s manufacturing sector would be protected by any potential deal.


She has repeatedly said the region’s firms rely on a constructive deal between the UK and the EU to continue prospering.

The principal market for exports from the West Midlands is the EU, she says, and a number of industry chiefs have spoken out against the consequences of a no-deal.

The letter reads:

“Dear Prime Minister,

“We the undersigned Members of Parliament, business leaders and representatives are writing to you about the threat that leaving the European Union without a deal poses to the manufacturing industry.

“Many of us represent constituencies with a significant manufacturing presence.

“Manufacturing plants employ thousands of our constituents and their jobs will be put at immediate risk if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union with no deal.

“We are acutely aware that 29th March is fast approaching.

“The renaissance of manufacturing and its supply chains in this country, bolstered by demand for exports, has markedly improved the lives of our constituents.

“The principal market for these exports has been the European Union.

“The revival of the manufacturing industry has created innumerable jobs, not only via direct employment but also in the supply chain and ancillary services.

“A whole generation of young people have had the opportunity to access world-class training and gone onto highly skilled and well-paid employment in manufacturing with iconic, global and market-leading companies.

“As a result, the aspirations of a generation have been raised.

“Leaving the EU without a deal would cause unnecessary economic damage. Trading on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms would instantly make our manufacturers less competitive and make it very difficult for the industry to justify producing goods in the UK for export.

“Leaving without a deal would make continued investment in UK manufacturing a real challenge for global firms, when they have

plants in other European locations. Without continued investment and confidence in the UK

manufacturing sector, thousands of jobs across the country will be put at immediate risk.

“As a cross-party group of MPs, business leaders and representatives, we are united in our determination that the UK must not crash out of the EU without a deal.

“We urge the Government to agree a mechanism that would ensure a ‘No Deal’ Brexit could not take place and are confident this

is a path that Parliament would support.”

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.

Advertising

Advertise with the Solihull Observer to reach your audience

Business Directory

From plumbers, to restaurants, we can provide you with all the info you need.

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Solihull Observer.