'It's farcical' Tory Brexiteer presents 'simple choice' Theresa May MUST make on trade
BREXITEER Peter Bone claimed Theresa May's new customs proposals are "farcical" and demanded the Prime Minister is more direct in negotiations with Brussels.
Peter Bone slams trade negotiations with EU: It's farcical
Speaking to BBC News, the leading Brexiteer claimed Theresa May should tell Brussels the UK will be ready to deal with the rest of the world under WTO rules post-Brexit.
The Tory MP said the Prime Minister latest customs proposal was "farcical" among a series of other leading Brexiteers also criticising Mrs May's new plan.
He said: “I mean, it’s farcical. To be honest, we would be better off just saying if you don’t want to do a free trade deal with us, just say it.
“In that case, we’ll have a global trade deal based on WTO rules.
“I think that’s a simple choice.”
We would be better off just saying if you don’t want to do a free trade deal with us, just say it
The Prime Minister is expected to host her divided Cabinet at Chequers on Friday, in order to forge a new path for the country outside the European Union.
Leading up to Friday’s crunch summit at the Prime Minister’s countryside retreat, Mrs May essentially has 24 hours to save Britain’s prosperity as well as her job by convincing both the Government’s Brexiteers and Remainers her plan is the one to follow.
The Prime Minister’s white paper is said to be an “evolved Mansion House”, citing her last monumental Brexit speech in which she set out a rough vision for the “future economic partnership between the United Kingdom and the European Union”.
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The Prime Minister’s plan also includes a new “facilitated customs arrangement”, which is neither her previous "customs partnership" nor Brexiteers' favoured Maximum Facilitation model.
Mrs May's original customs partnership failed to win over her Cabinet's Brexiteers.
Under her new plan, there will be no tariffs on imports from outside the EU as long as businesses can specify the retail destination of the products.
Downing Street aides believe 96 percent of imports from outside the EU will not need tariffs, while new digital customs technology determines the destination of goods to ensure tariffs are not charged.
For the remaining 4 percent, UK border officials will collect EU tariffs when the goods arrive, with businesses later being allowed to claim cash back as long as they prove the goods were sold in the UK and not exported to other EU countries.
If agreed by Brussels, the UK would be able to strike its own international free trade agreements as long as long as Britain promises not to deviate from EU standards.