Tory MP Predicts Political Crisis If Theresa May's Deal Is Voted Down

13 January 2019, 18:25

MPs should get behind the Prime Minister and vote for her Brexit plan says a Tory MP who believes there will be political crisis if the deal is rejected.

Ian Payne asked Stephen Crabb for 'one cold hard fact' against people who argue that there would be no affect in no deal, who said: "there would be an immediate impact on the farming industry".

Speaking ahead of a crucial week for Brexit, the Conservative MP said that "there would be huge uncertainty" about what kind of checks will be required on imports.

"We know that for certain industries there will be very specific impacts on them in a negative way," he said.

"I'm not saying for one minute that the whole economy will grind to a halt, but there are very specific industries in this country for which a no deal Brexit will have an immediate negative impact."

MPs are expected to reject the Prime Minister's Brexit plan when it is put to a vote in Parliament on Tuesday, but Theresa May has warned them that failing to deliver on Brexit would be a "catastrophic and unforgivable" breach of trust in the UK's democracy.

In the event her exit deal is voted down, some Brexiters have argued for the UK to leave without a deal, but other MPs also object to the no deal Brexit - calling for either Article 50 to be extended or revoked, or a second referendum to allow the general public to decide the next move.

Asked what he thought might happen on Tuesday, Mr Crabb said: "If MP's don't turn up on Tuesday willing to be pragmatic, willing to compromise, then the deal won't get through and we're into a period of political crisis.

"I still think that passing this deal is the responsible thing to do."