By Tony O’Riley-
Leaders of 200,000 companies across Europe have issued a warning that a no-deal Brexit would be a “disaster” for millions of workers.
In a joint statement, manufacturing group Make UK and Ceemet, its sister organisation in Europe, called for negotiations between the Government and the European Commission to resume.
The organisations, representing firms employing millions of workers, said leaving the UK’s most critical trading partner without a deal would be disastrous for manufacturing.
The statement said: “The impacts would go far beyond disruptions in trade at the border.
“Families and communities would be left hanging in the balance, affecting real people who need the well-paid jobs that manufacturing provides alongside its contribution of almost half of Britain’s global exports.
“Manufacturing and engineering companies employ 2.7 million in every constituency up and down the UK and many millions more across the whole of Europe.
“The Covid crisis has had an incredibly damaging impact across the UK and Europe. As a consequence it has been impossible to fully prepare for the changes that are coming in January.
“Should we face the challenge of an acrimonious exit without a deal, businesses in the UK and Europe are united in the view that they are not and cannot be ready for the disruption that we face”.
French MEP Nicolais Bay argued that Brexit negotiations had been designed to punish the British people, as he told the European Commission is “still seeking to keep the UK on a short leash” and warned the Brussels’ negotiators’ attitude was “never going to work” towards reaching an agreement. The French eurosceptic said he was “very worried about fisheries” as he claimed Germany’s preparedness to compromise on the issue will result in either “weakness or no deal”.
Warning
France issued an arrogant warning to Boris Johnson’s government that there will be “no new approach” coming from the EU as Brexit talks remain in limbo. “It is up to them to tell us now, beyond tactics, if they want to continue negotiating,” said Clément Beaune, French European affairs minister.
EU negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday a deal was still “within reach” and stressed the bloc’s willingness to move to “legal texts” – one of No 10’s demands. EU Council president Charles Michel warned “time is very short” – asking the UK to decide whether talks should resume.
Michel Barnier told the European Parliament: “We will seek the necessary compromises on both sides in order to do our utmost to reach an agreement and we will do so right up until the last day which it’s possible to do so, our doors will always remain open right up until the very end.”
The EU’s chief negotiator insisted: “Despite the difficulties we’ve faced, an agreement is within reach if both sides are willing to work constructively, if they are willing to compromise.”
But he said “time is running out, each and every day”