London Mayor Sadiq Khan warns 'muddled' Brexit threatens whole country
The senior Labour figure argues the lack of a clear government plan risks jobs and billions of pounds in lost income.
Friday 13 January 2017 10:37, UK
The UK is heading for a "muddled" Brexit that will damage not just London but the whole of the country, the capital's Mayor has warned.
Sadiq Khan has said it was "deeply concerning" the Government had no clear plan just months before Prime Minister Theresa May planned to trigger the start of Britain's formal departure from the EU.
In a speech to business and political leaders at the Mansion House, he urged them to continue to press for access to the single market and the recruitment of skilled workers to be at the heart of the Government’s negotiating position.
His comments come ahead of , who has been under mounting pressure to set out her administration's strategy.
In his address, Mr Khan seized on the damning assessment of the UK's former top EU diplomat Sir Ivan Rogers, who dramatically quit
In an interview with Sky News, , who insisted it was right for the Government to take time to consider the complex issues faced.
But Mr Khan said: "It's deeply concerning that we still appear to have 'muddled thinking' at the heart of government so soon before the negotiations are set to start.
"For months now, I’ve been arguing against a hard Brexit.
"But the only thing that would be as damaging as a hard Brexit is a muddled Brexit.
"And - unfortunately - it looks like that is where we are heading unless there's a change in tack and direction from our government."
He warned a negative Brexit impact for London would impact on the whole country.
"If the proper agreements aren't negotiated and we don't get the necessary transitional agreements in place, there'll be serious knock-on impacts on our future - with jobs and billions of revenue lost," he said.
"Revenues used to deliver public services and much, much more.
"This would hit the entire country, not just London."
Mr Khan added: "It’s not too late for the Government to take note and set a new tone."