Pat McFadden: Chequers Brexit plan is dead in the water
Pat McFadden has claimed Theresa May’s Chequers plan is 'dead in the water' as he urged the Prime Minister to outline her Brexit 'plan B'.
The Wolverhampton South East MP was part of the Brexit Select Committee that met with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels on Monday.
And he said the 12-strong cross-party committee – which includes Remainers such as Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds and Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy, as well as Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg – were left in no doubt over Mr Barnier's stance on the Government's proposals.
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"It was quite clear from meeting Mr Barnier that the chances of the Government getting an agreement on the Chequers proposal from the EU are close to zero," Mr McFadden said.
"He is a polite guy, but he was pretty blunt. He said 'there are lots of good things here, but we are not going to accept the Customs proposal and we're not going to accept the common rulebook for goods'.
"If you don't accept those two parts, there is nothing else of consequence in it. They are the two central pillars.
"Certainly in its current form I don't think the Chequers proposal will be coming to Parliament.
"About 12 MPs heard this and we all had the same conclusion, whether we are Remainers or Leavers, and that was that what Mr Barnier had told us means that the Chequers deal is dead in the water."
Mr Barnier has said he strongly opposes the Chequers proposal to create a free trade area in goods between the EU and UK, leaving the Government with the option of a so-called Canada-style trade deal which would not solve the crucial Irish border issue.
Mr McFadden said it means the Government must act quickly to come up with an alternative plan.
"Chequers was the Government's big throw of the dice," he said.
"They have had trouble convincing their own party and trouble convincing the public. Clearly they have also failed to convince the negotiators on the EU side of the table.
"The question I would ask now, is what is plan B?"
This morning Mr McFadden and the rest of the committee grilled Philip Rycroft, the Permanent Brexit Secretary, in Westminster Hall.
Responding to a question on whether the Government had done an economic impact assessment of the Chequers plan, Mr Rycroft said an economic analysis would be published once a proposal had been put to Parliament.
