Tories putting Hard Brexit before the national interest, warns Emma Reynolds

The Government should aim to “negotiate an average deal” for trading with other European countries after leaving the EU, according to a Tory MP.

Dominic Raab, who says he has been giving advice on leaving the EU to Liam Fox and David Davis, the Cabinet ministers overseeing Brexit, also happily admitted that a hard Brexit “ends in tears”.

In proposals branded “shocking” by Labour MPs, Brexiter Raab, who was one of the proposers for Michael Gove’s doomed leadership bid, suggested that getting quick trade deals would preferable to getting good ones.

“What you do, and the Germans used to do this in the investment protection agreements before the EU took control, is they would get into the countries quick, negotiate an average deal, be the first – like the Germans put the towel on the beach first,” he said.

Raab, one of the members of the Vote Leave campaign committee, revealed he has been passing on these pearls of wisdom to the Government ministers in charge of guiding the UK out of the European Union. During a Tory party conference fringe event on boosting the UK’s international trade, he told the audience: “One of the pieces of advice I’ve given to David Davis and Liam Fox is not only that this dynamic virtuous cycle we should take advantage of, but get yourself your ministers and I think there is a great onus on non-political actors to do this as well, touring the continental trade shows and business groups and making the argument, let’s not erect unnecessary trade barriers.”

He also revealed a lack of knowledge about EU law – not to mention contradicting Theresa May’s own words – by suggesting trade negotiations with non-EU countries could begin before Brexit happens. “You can go and ask the EU, can we negotiate free trade deals before we’re out,” he said at the Policy Exchange and HSBC fringe. “Of course for political reasons they’re going to say ‘no don’t do that’. And that’s precisely the reason why we should do it. There’s nothing illegal about it.”

May herself has ruled that all negotiations have to be “consistent with the law and our treaty obligations”.

The Australian High Commissioner, who was speaking on the panel with Raab, rubbished his suggestions, saying that “there’s not a lot we can do” about negotiating trade deals until the UK Government provides clarity about Britain’s future relationship with the Single Market and Customs Union.

Labour MP Emma Reynolds today said that the remarks proved the Tories are willing to put the economic interests of the country second to getting out of the EU.

“The Prime Minister may say she wants the best deal for Britain, but this shows that the Tories are putting their dream of a ‘hard Brexit’ first, and the interests of the country second,” Reynolds said.

“Dominic Raab’s proposals would be badly damaging for Britain’s trade, and it is shocking to hear that he is advising David Davis and Liam Fox on their business.

“We cannot afford the risk of a Tory Brexit and the damage it will do to our country.”

The new revelations show that while it is bad enough that May has organised a Cabinet sub-committee for Brexit stuffed with Eurosceptics, those making the decisions are still taking hearings from the most hardline Leavers in the party, who are willing to accept inferior trading arrangements so Britain can leave the EU swiftly.