Theresa May was today warned the Government cannot “run for ever” from a crunch vote on whether Britain stays in a customs union after Brexit.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer urged the Prime Minister to “face up” to the scale of opposition to her stance that the UK will not remain in a customs union.
He issued the warning as Culture Secretary Matt Hancock admitted the “killer question” still needed to be resolved over how Britain can trade freely with the EU after Brexit and also strike new trade deals with other nations. The Government was due to come under fresh pressure today during a backbench Commons debate on a post-Brexit customs union.
Chief Whip Julian Smith has been telling Tory MPs they can go campaigning for the local elections rather than turn up for the debate today.
Ahead of it, Sir Keir told BBC radio: “This is a big decision and the Government needs to face up to the fact that there is huge opposition to its position on a customs union.
“The Government looks as if it is running away from that... but it can’t run for ever.”
Today’s debate is non-binding and No 10 has played down its significance. The motion calls on the Government to include as an objective in negotiations with the EU “the establishment of an effective customs union between the two territories”.
Signatories to the motion tabled by parliamentary committee chairs include four senior Tories: Bob Neill, Sarah Wollaston, Nicky Morgan and Dominic Grieve.
Ministers have been accused of putting off a vote on a customs union, which could follow amendments to the trade and customs bills, until autumn.
Mr Hancock stressed: “We want to be a global trading nation, trading both freely and effectively with the EU but also with our big partners like our biggest trading partner, the United States, and the very fast-growing parts of the world. But the killer question is how we can make sure that we are free trading both with the EU and... striking trade deals around the world.”
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Adding to the pressure on the Government, a leaked letter from Northern Ireland’s top civil servant, David Sterling, shows it was warned about significant problems with its Brexit plans last August.
A Government source said: “We have been very clear that we are leaving the single market and the customs union.
“We will bring forward the next steps of our approach when appropriate in Parliament.”
