Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has challenged the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Brexit to confirm whether he will be the next UK Government minister to resign if the Prime Minister pursues a customs arrangement with the EU following Brexit.

Earlier this week, reports suggested that the Prime Minister was finally willing to enter into a custom arrangement with the EU following Brexit.

On Wednesday evening the Brexit sub-committee of the Cabinet met, yet again, to discuss future customs arrangements with the EU. But, as has happened previously, they could not agree a way forward.

Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:

“The SNP has been campaigning tirelessly for the UK’s continued membership of the customs union and the single market. This is vitally important to protecting jobs and household incomes in Scotland.

“It was heartening to see that the Prime Minister was starting to come round to our way of thinking on customs arrangements at least. However, it appears that following pressure from the Brexiteers in her own party – led by David Davis MP – that she has decided to put her own narrow party interests ahead of what’s in the best interests of the country. It’s a shambolic situation that two years after the EU referendum we still have no idea what our future relationship with the EU will look like.

“David Davis, along with Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, are the leading cheerleaders for Brexit and want to cut all ties to the EU.

“It’s clear from David Davis’s qualified response, only replying that his “resignation was not imminent” that he could be the next Secretary of State to resign from the UK Government. The Prime Minister’s handling of Brexit has been a complete car-crash and the UK’s international reputation lies in tatters. She owes it to the country to concern herself a little more with the damage that a hard Brexit with no customs arrangement will have on jobs and household incomes rather than on the internal squabbles in the Tory party.

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Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X