Labour's Barry Gardiner Likens No-Deal Brexit To “Blowing Our Own Brains Out”
17 January 2019, 14:25 | Updated: 17 January 2019, 14:27
The Shadow International Trade Secretary has likened Britain leaving the EU without a deal to “blowing our own brains out”.
Barry Gardiner warned exiting the bloc with no agreement would be a “tremendous mistake”.
He told Nick Ferrari that Labour wanted a “verbal commitment” from the Prime Minister which ruled out a no-deal exit before Jeremy Corbyn agrees to talks.
The Labour frontbencher spoke as Theresa May met with other party leaders in a bid build a Brexit consensus in Parliament.
The government is due to publish a new plan for EU withdrawal on Monday after MPs overwhelmingly rejected the deal on Tuesday.
Mr Gardiner insisted taking no deal off the table would not hinder Britain’s leverage in the negotiations.
“It is not a threat to the EU to say ‘actually we’ll blow our own brains out’ because they know it’s not realistic,” he said.
“Parliament knows it is not realistic and what’s more the Cabinet knows it is not realistic.
“That is why you have senior members of the Cabinet saying no deal must be ruled out and some of them threatening to resign if not.”
