Cabinet minister Greg Clark has refused to rule out resigning if Theresa May pressed ahead with a no-deal Brexit, as he said such a scenario would be a “disaster”.
Urging parliament to establish that it wants a disorderly exit from the EU ruled out, the business secretary also claimed there is “mounting alarm” in businesses around the world.
Describing the prospect of leaving the bloc on World Trade Organisation (WTO) trading terms as the “most rudimentary that exist between any nations on earth”, Mr Clark said in an article for Politico that a no-deal scenario is ”bewildering in many boardrooms”.
He also contradicted the prime minister’s mantra that “no deal is better than a bad deal”, adding: “Business have been supportive of the agreement the prime minister has negotiated because it reflects what job creators say is needed. A deal, rather than no deal.”
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether he would be able to stay in his position if the government was to oversee a no deal, he replied: “It’s not that it would become government policy ... what parliament needs to do is recognise that we need to put differences aside and establish an agreement on a deal.”
Pressed again, he added: “I would always work and fight to make sure the policy of the government is to have a good deal and to avoid what I think would be a disaster, which would be no deal.”
His remarks came as Nick Timothy, the former chief of staff to the prime minister, wrote in an article for The Daily Telegraph that some Conservative MPs could vote against the government in a no-confidence motion to stop a no-deal Brexit.
But crucially, he added: “Other senior MPs – including several ministers – agree in private. Up to five cabinet ministers would resign. It is very difficult to imagine the government defying parliament in this way.”
After the government suffered two damaging defeats in the Commons in the space of 24 hours, Mr Clark also said it was clear there was no majority for Britain leaving the bloc without a deal.
“It is my strong view that we need to come together. We need to act to avoid a no deal because I don’t think there is anything remotely like a majority in parliament that will tolerate this,” he said.
“The default is in law that unless we have a deal then we will fall into no deal. Now, I think, is the time for parliament to recognise this. We need to come together, we need to do a deal.
“We need to reflect on the points that are going to be made in the debates, but really give expression to that determination across parliament and conduct ourselves in the way that our reputation internationally has always been – to be pragmatic and dependable – and that means doing a deal.”
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