Business warns Tories over no-deal Brexit

The Confederation of British Industry has warned Conservative leadership candidates over a no-deal Brexit.

Such a scenario would do “severe” damage to businesses, the body – which supported Remain – told all the Members of Parliament (MPs) running to lead the party.

Director General Carolyn Fairbairn told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that a no-deal Brexit should be an option “that is not even considered”.

She was speaking after the CBI sent an open letter to candidates.

In its letter, the CBI says: “Firms large and small are clear that leaving the European Union (EU) with a deal is the best way forward.

“Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one. The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our [small and medium-sized] members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.”

She told Today that businesses were not ready for a no-deal scenario and said: “This idea that we are ready is just not true.

“How can you be prepared for £20bn of increased customs costs? How can you be prepared for tariffs rising overnight? 150,000 businesses with no systems in place to deal with this.

“This is not a responsible strategy for a government to have.”

The UK had been due to leave the EU on March 29, but Theresa May asked for an extension and the date was pushed back to October 31.

The official race to succeed her gets under way after she stands down in early June, but jostling between Tory candidates has already begun.

Esther McVey, the first of the 12 confirmed contenders to stand in the Tory leadership race, said earlier this week in a column for the Daily Telegraph that the UK needs to “actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal”.

Former Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson and ex-Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab have said they would like to renegotiate the terms of Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement with Brussels, but would enforce the current October deadline.

Gerard Lyons, co-founder of Economists for Brexit, told Today: “I don’t think any of the leadership candidates are advocating no deal as their plan A.

“One has to have a plan B. No deal, whether we like it or not, has to be plan B.” –BBC