Cabinet ministers have advised Theresa May to not avoid discussing the highly contested issues of freedom of movement and services with regards to the Brexit plan at an all-day meeting this Friday.
Theresa May plans to gather her cabinet ministers to discuss Brexit issues at her private Chequers estate on Friday.
Ministers have expressed their concern at Downing Street regarding the lack of focus on the customs arrangement details of the controversial Brexit deal.
Both remain and leave-leaning cabinet members are worried about the meeting as they fear that the freedom of movement issue may be avoided and the importance of the service sector’s role in the Brexit plan to be undermined.
It is believed that a compromise may be proposed on immigration to Brussels in order to increase the likelihood of gaining a favourable outcome for the customs arrangement.
“Whether it’s hard or soft, she needs to face down one side or the other”, said a government source referring to the latest issues in the Brexit plan where Theresa May failed to propose a compromise to satisfy all Parliament and cabinet members.
Her indecision has frustrated many officials due to the high stakes May is facing.
Pro-Brexit cabinet ministers are growing concerned about her “third way” on customs and have discussed creating a proposal to counter it.
The “third way” a proposed method to deal with Brexit’s customs arrangement whereby the UK would track goods upon arrival into the country and levy EU import taxes if the final destination of the goods would be within the EU.
Conservative MP and deputy to Secretary of State, Richard Harrington, has expressed his concerns of the impact of a no-deal Brexit on businesses, namely multinationals.
He stated:
“I perfectly understand why Airbus and other companies who have so much invested in this country and employ so many people, are responsible for hundreds of millions if not billions of pounds of exports, of course they’re worried. They’ve got every right to say that.”
May’s spokesman has said “We are aiming to get a good deal that works for the whole country…We are working hard to get a deal.”
