MP quits role to take Brexit stance
Jenkyns says UK must leave the customs union
POLITICS: A Yorkshire MP yesterday quit the Government to argue for a Brexit which does not leave the UK “half in, half out” of the EU. Andrea Jenkyns is the first Brexiteer to resign from the Government over the withdrawal.
A YORKSHIRE MP yesterday quit the Government to argue for a Brexit which does not leave the UK “half in, half out” of the European Union.
Morley and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns is the first Brexiteer to resign from a Government job over Britain’s withdrawal.
The Conservative promised to use her freedom from collective responsibility to argue for Britain to leave the EU customs union, amid Brexiteer fears that Theresa May is preparing to water down her negotiating “red lines”.
As an unpaid parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ms Jenkyns’ move is not the kind of high-profile resignation that is likely to significantly destabilise the Government.
But it will nevertheless put pressure on the Prime Minister at a time when her Brexit strategy is under intense scrutiny, with the Cabinet split on what kind of customs arrangement to seek when the UK quits the EU in March 2019.
Ms Jenkyns, who sits on the Commons Brexit Committee as one of only seven Leavers out of 21 members, said she wanted devote more time to “doing all I can do to correct this imbalance and be a robust voice for the benefits of Brexit”.
Her resignation came as the cross-party committee said the UK may be forced to stay in the customs union beyond the transition period which finishes at the end of 2020 because of Ministers’ failure to set out alternative plans.
The cross-party group led by Leeds MP Hilary Benn issued a withering report on the PM’s efforts to find a replacement customs system and concluded that extending the current arrangement is the only “viable option” left.
The lack of progress on alternatives, and the need to avoid a hard Irish border, means Ministers may have to accept an extension for the customs union beyond that date, they said.
Ms Jenkyns, meanwhile, hit out at MPs who are “committed to upsetting the democratic decision of the British people” and bemoaned the fact that Brexiteers are “overwhelmingly outnumbered” in the House of Commons, with Tory Remainer rebels threatening to join Labour in an imminent crunch vote to try to force the Government to remain in the customs union.
Ms Jenkyns, who nicknamed her son “Brexit Clifford” because he was born the day Article 50 was triggered in Parliament, said the UK’s exit from the EU “means a huge amount to me”, as she was feted in Tory circles for ousting Labour heavyweight Ed Balls at the 2015 General Election after promising to back an in/out referendum.
Writing on her website, she went on: “I owe my constituents and the 17.4m people who decided to leave the EU that their voices are heard.
“We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries – nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out.
“And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union.”
Meanwhile, Downing Street dismissed reports it could partially extend the Brexit transition period amid speculation the UK could remained in some form of customs union until 2023.
Mrs May’s official spokesman told a regular Westminster briefing: “We are obviously working on various positions, including our future customs relationship, and our intention is that we will be ready and we will end the implementation period as agreed in December 2020.”
It came after HM Revenue & Customs chief Jon Thompson warned that businesses could be left up to £20bn worse off if the “max fac” customs plan favoured by Brexiteers is implemented, and warned that neither that nor an alternative “customs partnership” plan favoured by Mrs May would be ready at the end of 2020.
A new relationship with EU must not leave UK half-in, half-out. Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood.