Government is giving up on British industry with no deal, says Rachel Reeves

Labour’s Rachel Reeves has accused the Conservatives of giving up on British industry after the government missed its own deadline to strike a trade deal with the EU last week and escalated its no-deal rhetoric.

Reacting to a Commons statement from Michael Gove today, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said Downing Street was offering “more excuses than explanations” and called on the government to urgently secure an EU trade deal.

The Prime Minister had initially set himself a deadline of October 15th for making sure an agreement with the EU was in place. After missing this target, Boris Johnson announced that the UK should be ready for no deal.

In a statement last week, Johnson claimed that the government had “wanted nothing more complicated than a Canada-style relationship” with the EU but that recent talks had suggested “that won’t work for our EU partners”.

Michael Gove initially reiterated the point and told the House today that negotiations with the EU had become untenable. Later, however, he said there had been progress with EU negotiators during the parliamentary debate.

Commenting on the government’s Brexit strategy and the risk of no deal in the Commons today, Reeves said: “At the last general election, the Prime Minister said he had an oven-ready deal ready to go.

“The withdrawal agreement was the starter course but we’re still waiting for the main meal: a trade agreement with the European Union… Even at this late stage Labour expects the government to reach an agreement with the European Union that honours that agreement.”

The Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: “Over the last three days, we’ve heard more posturing than solutions. More excuses than explanations. It’s time for the government to take responsibility.

“Now, of course, everyone needs to prepare as best they can. However, it is a bit rich for the government to lecture businesses on getting ready when the government can’t even tell them what they’re getting ready for.

“So, let’s be clear. If the talks have run out of road, then many industries will face prohibitive tariffs, from 10% for exporting cars to at least 40% on exporting lamb to Britain’s biggest market, in just ten weeks’ time.”

Labour’s Brexit spokesperson also criticised the government for refusing to meet with trade unions and representatives of the UK’s automotive industry about Brexit – despite having previously promised to do so.

The Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster asked the minister: “At what point did the British government give up on British industry, and when will the minister be meeting with those businesses?

“Because it’s all well and good to say prepare, but if you can’t even be bothered to get around a table with them, I ask again what are they supposed to be preparing for and what support is the government giving them?”

Gove did not respond to the question, which prompted Unite the Union to tweet: “He responds as though that offer never happened. Is that your answer to our letter then @MichaelGove?”

Gove did respond to a question by Theresa May on security. He claimed that the UK could cooperate “more effectively” with European security forces outside the EU, which led the former Prime Minister to react with astonishment.

Government ministers have repeatedly told the public that they are planning to pursue an “Australia-style” deal. When pressed on what this meant, Business Secretary Alok Sharma admitted it was code for no deal.

After Sharma told LBC listeners that it was a matter of “semantics”, his opposite number Ed Miliband accused the government of “trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes to pretend no deal doesn’t mean no deal”.