Swansea-born Tory grandee: No deal would be ‘the worst decision of modern times’
Swansea-born Tory grandee Michael Heseltine has branded Boris Johnson’s threat of a no deal Brexit would be “the worst decision of modern times”.
Writing in today’s Observer, the former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine said that a no deal Brexit would be catastrophic for the UK.
“This government will be – and should be – held responsible for quite simply the worst peacetime decision of modern times,” he writes.
“I know personally of members of the cabinet who believe this as firmly as I do. I cannot understand their silence.
“Christmas is upon us and before the country goes back to work we are on our own. Sovereign, in charge, control regained. None of that creates a single job, one pound’s worth of investment or any rise in living standards.
“We will have risked our trading relationship with the world’s largest market which accounts for nearly half our imports and exports.”
‘Sovereign’
Lord Heseltine’s comments came as talks enter their final day today between Brussels and London over a Brexit deal before the transition period ends on 31st December.
A UK Government source said: “Talks are continuing overnight, but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister will leave no stone unturned in this process, but he is absolutely clear: any agreement must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation in three weeks’ time.”
The two sides are apparently yet to come together on fishing rights and the level playing field for trade – the main sticking points throughout the most recent rounds of talks.
Irish PM Micheal Martin said there was still room to resolve outstanding issues between the two “inter-dependent” partners.
“I think it would be an appalling failure of statecraft if we were not in a position to get a deal over the line”, he added, “It is vital that we do not have an acrimonious break-up because that would be very damaging.”
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