The FUW has responded to the third defeat in Parliament of the government’s withdrawal deal saying that revoking Article 50 is the only way to guarantee a safe and orderly Brexit. The call came after Prime Minister Theresa May’s third attempt to secure parliament’s backing for her withdrawal agreement was defeated by 344 to 286 votes.
FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “With power over the Brexit process now resting firmly with Parliament, MPs need to recognise that withdrawing Article 50 is the only way to secure sufficient time to allow a consensus to be reached which bridges the political divides which exist within and between parties.”
Having called for Article 50 to be revoked in January, in recent weeks the FUW has called for preparations to be made for holding European Parliament elections and for all relevant legislation to be changed to allow Brexit to take place over a far more realistic timetable.
“The uncertainty that is affecting businesses across the UK is a direct result of the UK Government’s decision to try and achieve the unachievable over a very short timescale - something we warned against on the day the referendum outcome was announced.
“Businesses need to know it will be ‘business as usual’ for a set period, and have plenty of warning - months or years - of what exactly will happen after that date so they can prepare properly.
“It is a disgrace that businesses have been facing complete uncertainty as to what might happen in just days’ time, and the responsibility for that lies firmly with the UK government.”
Mr Roberts reiterated the FUW’s long held view that leaving the EU while staying in the Single Market and Customs Union remained the best way to bridge the political divide which had come from the EU referendum.
“I am heartened by the outcome of the indicative votes which took place last week, and all the necessary moves to allow that process of compromise and common sense to continue need to take place. Revoking Article 50 would be a sure way to give the process sufficient time. At the very least, agreeing a lengthy extension period and holding EU elections would bring us closer to having a timetable that properly reflects the magnitude of the task at hand.”