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MP for South Thanet Craig Mackinlay calls committee report on Brexit deal 'more Project Fear'

An MP has described a Brexit report published by a committee he sits on as "more Project Fear".

Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet, has made the comments about the latest paper released by the Exiting the EU Committee.

The 76-page report, named Political Declaration: Assessing the Options, sets out what the government could do next after the Prime Minister's Brexit deal was rejected by parliament last week.

Craig Mackinlay - UK Parliament official portraits 2017. (6544321)
Craig Mackinlay - UK Parliament official portraits 2017. (6544321)

Its publication comes on the day of parliament's response to the vote on Theresa May's failed EU withdrawal agreement.

It says: “It is vital that the House of Commons is now given the opportunity to identify an option that might secure a majority."

It adds a "managed no deal" cannot constitute the policy of any responsible government.

Mr Mackinlay, who is also on the committee, said: “This is just more Project Fear from a group of MPs who have never wanted the UK to leave the EU.

“If the truth be known, what these MPs really want is for the outcome of the 2016 in/out referendum to be overturned.

“There was never any doubt that the draft withdrawal agreement would be rejected by the House of Commons because the deal on offer by the EU was a poor one and never passed scrutiny as the proper Brexit voted for by 17.4m people.

“No business would enter into negotiations without being prepared to walk away..." Craig Mackinlay

“The Plan B must now be for a comprehensive free trade deal, often called the Canada Plus, that was offered in March last year and to finally put aside the non-issue of the Irish border.

“That said, a managed no deal, trading under tried and tested World Trade Organisation terms, whilst suboptimal, unequivocally delivers Brexit.

“No business would enter into negotiations without being prepared to walk away.

“Losing the WTO Brexit option would only weaken our position and so it must be an option.”

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