08-15-2017, 08:19 AM
Britain will today propose keeping the same customs rules with the EU for an “interim” period after Brexit to avert border chaos, sparking fresh accusations that policy is mired in confusion. Ministers will tell Brussels they want a “temporary customs union” for several years, amid evidence that businesses are already pulling investment because they fear the harm to trade from a cliff-edge exit in 2019. They will ask for “alignment” on customs – making clear that, although Britain would leave the EU’s existing arrangements, little would change on the ground. The proposal will be greeted with relief by business leaders as a big step back from Theresa May’s threats that “no deal is better than a bad deal”, made before her election setback. However, there are huge doubts over whether EU leaders will accept the plan – after two cabinet ministers insisted that Britain must also be free to seek trade deals with non-EU countries, from day one after departure.
The Government has been accused of refusing to publish more than 50 “secret” studies in the impact of Brexit – for fear they could cause embarrassment to ministers. Brexit minister David Jones confirmed in a letter that the Department for Exiting the European Union had “conducted analysis of over 50 sector of the economy”. But ministers are so far resisting calls to publish the findings of the investigations in full – arguing that some findings “would undermine the Government’s ability to negotiate the best deal for Britain” were they made public. It comes after one leaked piece of research by the Department of Health found that Brexit could cause a shortage of more than 40,000 nurses by 2026.
Government refusing to publish 50 'secret' studies on Brexit impact | The Independent