Brexit secretary David Davis admits UK could push back Brexit day – but says extending customs union would be “failure”
David Davis has admitted the UK could push back the moment it leaves the EU – but said he would regard any need to extend the customs union membership as “a failure”.
Speaking this morning the Brexit secretary gave Remain MPs a lifeline by suggesting the Article 50 process could be extended – but only if it was agreed by every parliament in the European Union.
Davis told Hilary Benn’s Exiting the EU Committee the UK could not extend the process “unilaterally”, by MPs voting for an amendment.
“If parliament asks for something impossible, then obviously we can’t deliver on that,” he said. Davis conceded that “with unanimity [across EU27], it can be extended” – although he stressed it was unlikely, pointing to the failure of other deals such as TTIP.
Davis told MPs they would be able to amend the motion on the final agreement but emphasised his position that this could result in the UK leaving the EU without a deal in place.
The secretary of state declined to comment specifically on whether an amendment could result in the government returning to the negotiating table, telling Labour MP Stephen Kinnock: “I am not sure how much force the government sent back with its tail between its legs would have.”
Separately Davis said he did not expect to have to extend the customs membership, because of technical or logistical issues.
“I would view that on my part as failure,” he said.
But he stressed that part of being able to strike trade deals during transition would avoid that problem, saying it was “the biggest single ask” from the UK.
It would help the UK get off to a “bracing start” with other trade deals, he added.
Davis also played down the apparent stalemate over the Irish border. Being quizzed as to why proposals have so far been rejected outright, the minister said: “That’s what a negotiation is for…. it’s the first few days of this round of negotiations, it’s an opening position”.
Remainers have seized upon Davis’ concession over the delay to Brexit day.
Following the hearing, Labour MP Pat McFadden, who sits on the committee and supports campaign group Open Britain, said: “[Davis] refused, several times, to repeat his previous threat that this was a take it or leave it vote and that rejection of the overnment’s resolution would mean ‘the deal falls. Full stop. In toto’.
“This is a welcome and overdue recognition of the new parliamentary reality following the 2017 general election… There are important votes coming up on the customs union and other issues and the secretary of state has confirmed this morning that the government will respect those votes.
“Parliament should not be put into the position of either accepting whatever the government negotiates or a no deal scenario trading with the EU purely on WTO rules. MPs across the House will expect to have some influence over this process and the secretary of state’s comments this morning make that more likely.”