Business leader Paul Drechsler did not mince his words after Sajid Javid called for Britain to leave the customs union.
This week will see a series of debates on the future of business and trade in post-Brexit Britain.
And it seems that both sides of the debate are gearing up for action. Housing Secretary Sajid David and Environment Secretary Michael Gove threatened on Sunday to lead a rebellion if Prime Minister Theresa May u-turns on her decision to leave the customs union. The president of the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) meanwhile, told Javid off for neglecting evidence that leaving the customs union would damage British businesses.
Paul Drechsler responded to a tweet from Javid demanding a swift exit from the union, suggesting the Cabinet minister should “rise above ideology.”
An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence – all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss,
— Paul Drechsler (@drechsler_paul) April 22, 2018
And with a debate over Britain’s membership to the customs union scheduled to take place in the House of Commons on Thursday, there were plenty of MPs happy to chime in with the business leader.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who is leading a campaign for ‘the People’s Vote’, said:
“The fact that the President of the CBI, representing thousands of employers in this country, is calling out a Cabinet Minister on Twitter is a damning indictment of this Government’s destructive Brexit policy.
“Businesses know that crashing out of the Customs Union will be a catastrophe for jobs and employment in this country, but the Government seems determined to drive us off the cliff regardless.
“With Brexit looking increasingly like a dangerous threat to jobs and the economy in this country, the people have a right to make their voices heard with a People’s Vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal.”
On Tuesday, the CBI, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and City of London Corporation will be giving evidence in Parliament on the predicted outcomes of Brexit to jobs, business and the financial health of the country.
Joana Ramiro is a reporter for Left Foot Forward. You can follow her on Twitter for all sorts of rants here.
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