Loughborough MP calls for fresh strategy and leadership over Brexit

The MP for Loughborough, Nicky Morgan, has told TheBusinessDesk.com that she thinks Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal will be voted down for a third time next week.

Speaking at an exclusive round table for local importers, sponsored by Barclays, Morgan, who has been Loughborough’s MP for last nine years, said she thought the likelihood of May’s deal being defeated again was “quite high”, but insisted that there is a lot going on behind the scenes in Whitehall to prepare businesses for life after Brexit.

Morgan added: “The EU doesn’t want a ‘no-deal’ Brexit any more than the UK does, but I can’t see the Prime Minister’s deal gaining any additional support next week.

“Eu leaders have spent a lot of time this week putting pressure on the Labour Party to abstain in next week’s vote, but I can’t see that happening either, and it’s no doubt that the country is now in crisis over Brexit.

“How do we solve it? I think revoking Article 50 is a terrible idea – we’d just have a re-run of the last three years. I think we need new leadership and a new strategy.”

Meanwhile, Keith Ross, head of mid corporate for Barclays in the East Midlands, said that he is now seeing definite signs of nervousness from businesses because of the possibility of a no-deal exit.

Ross said: “From September last year onwards we saw investments being put on pause. From the start of this year, we’ve seen that liquidity dry up as businesses absorb the cash to navigate their way through the Brexit process.”

A full report from the round table will appear on TheBusinessDesk.com next week.