More than 200 members of the UK parliament have signed a letter requesting the government to rule out a no-deal Brexit as the House of Commons is embracing a crucial week with debate on Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement following the Christmas recess.
“LEAVING EU WOULD CAUSE ECONOMIC DAMAGE”
The MPs from Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, SNP and Plaid Cymru parties said they are concerned about the effect of a no-deal Brexit, especially on the manufacturing industry, if the deal brought back to the parliament fails the “meaningful vote” and the UK gets to a stage to leave the EU without a deal.
“The renaissance of manufacturing and its supply chains in this country, bolstered by demand for exports, has markedly improved the lives of our constituents,” the letter said. It added: “The principal market for these exports has been the European Union.”
The revival of the manufacturing industry has created innumerable jobs, not only via direct employment but also in the supply chain and ancillary services. “Leaving the EU without a deal would cause unnecessary economic damage,” the group of MPs said. “Trading on World Trade Organisation terms would instantly make our manufacturers less competitive and make it very difficult for the industry to justify producing goods in the UK for export,” they added. “Leaving without a deal would make continued investment in UK manufacturing a real challenge for global firms when they have plants in other European locations.”
British voters decided to leave the EU after the country’s more than 40-year-long membership in a 2016 referendum.
The UK is set to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.