MPs urge Theresa May to set out Brexit plan within month
A cross-party committee urges Theresa May to avoid a "cliff edge" departure and give MPs a vote on the final deal with the EU.
Saturday 14 January 2017 22:13, UK
MPs are calling on Theresa May to publish her Brexit plan by the middle of next month and make clear whether she wants to keep Britain in the single market.
The Commons' committee on Exiting the EU also said in a report that the Prime Minister should commit to giving MPs a vote on the final Brexit deal with EU nations.
Chair of the committee Hilary Benn told Sky News: "Nobody is asking the Government to reveal its red lines, its negotiating fall-back position.
"But on questions like... are we staying in the customs union or not, what kind of relationship we will have with the single market, what will happen to EU citizens here, Brits who have been working in other EU countries, how do we continue to co-operate once we've left the European Union with our neighbours on important things like defence and foreign policy and the fight against terrorism?
"And since we will, as a nation, be telling the other 27 in 11 or 12 weeks' time, what it is that we are seeking, we thinking it's right that the British parliament and the British people should be told by the Government what it is they will be looking for on our behalf."
Meanwhile, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has denied reports in The Guardian that he has hinted of a compromise from Brussels to ensure member states continue to have easy access to the City.
He tweeted: "When asked on equivalence I said: EU would need special vigilance on financial stability risk, not special deal to access the City."
Mrs May has said she will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, to formally begin divorce talks, by the end of March.
But, six months after the 23 June referendum, she has revealed very little about the Government’s Brexit plan.
Mr Benn said his committee wants to scrutinise the plan, which must be presented in the form of a white paper - a government policy document - and should be published alongside economic assessments of the different options for market access and trade.
The PM has insisted she would not be giving a "running commentary" on preparations, saying this would weaken the Government's hand in the talks with Brussels.
On Tuesday, she is due to give .
The report said the Government should seek a transitional deal with the bloc, warning that a "cliff edge" departure would be "extremely disruptive".
The absence of transitional arrangements could push some businesses to relocate out of the UK or move investment overseas, it said.
The committee urged the Government to ensure continued access to EU markets for UK financial services providers and to keep up cooperation on sectors including defence, financial crime and counter-terrorism.
Mr Benn called for "clarity" on the Government’s broad aims.
"This is going to be a hugely complex task and the outcome will affect us all," he said.
"Whatever deal is concluded, Parliament must be given a vote on it and the Government should make this clear now."
The cross-party committee on Exiting the EU includes prominent Brexiteers like Michael Gove and Dominic Raab, as well as former backers of the Remain campaign like Mr Benn. This was its first report.
A spokesman for the Department for Exiting Europe said the Government was focused on achieving a "smooth and orderly exit" and said it was approaching the talks "with the full intention of securing a deal that delivers the best possible outcome for the UK".