Following his resignation as business minister last night, Richard Harrington says he would back no Brexit over no deal.
Watford’s MP was on Sky News this morning after an eventful evening where he was one of three Tory ministers to resign from the government.
He accused Prime Minister Theresa May of playing ‘roulette with the lives and livelihoods” of workers in the UK and a no deal Brexit would have “widespread and long-standing implications” for everyone.
This evening I wrote to the PM to offer her my resignation pic.twitter.com/Z0QU5lbeJ1
— Richard Harrington (@Richard4Watford) March 25, 2019
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Harrington reiterated the importance of taking no deal off the table.
He said: “I will support anything other than no deal. I’ll look at any reasonable alternative but if the alternative is no deal or no Brexit I’d choose no Brexit anytime.
“The PM should absolutely categorically and unequivocally take no deal off the table because I believe it will bring total disaster to the British economy and now parliament has chance to actually say what it does think.
“I voted for parliament to take control of the process. I’m a big supporter of the PM’s deal but I can’t accept no deal."
Richard Harrington, who was one of three ministers to resign last night, says he is a big supporter of the PM's deal, but insists Theresa May must "unequivocally take no-deal off the table"
— Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) March 26, 2019
Read more about the cabinet resignations here: https://t.co/o33egNdAqN pic.twitter.com/VDcTJ06SVA
When asked why no deal is important to avoid, the MP said: “I’ve visited Airbus in Wales and Mini in Oxford and I’ve seen how parts are coming in and out of country, people are coming in and out of the country. I saw a part that went on a Mini that went in and out of the country five times before the final revised product. Well that’s got to continue and no deal would completely remove that. I’m worried about the effect it will have on jobs and economy and it (no deal) has got to be stopped.”
Mr Harrington resigned last night in order to rebel against the government and vote for Oliver Letwin’s amendment which sees Parliament take control of the Brexit process from the Prime Minister.
Watford’s Tory representative, a constituency which was split by 252 votes favouring leave, also stated that the Leave campaign was “influenced by one of the most dishonest campaigns in democratic history”.
He added: “The rubbish about all this money that will go to the NHS. People voted for number of reasons but I’m sure very few people voted for we would know be a short term economic disaster.
“We are running out of patience with Brexiteers now. I think many of us have tried to compromise on both sides of the argument but it will reach a stage soon where frustration as shown by one million people marching through London, it reaches a stage where they will have to be listened to as well.”
"We are running out of patience with the Brexiteers now" - Richard Harrington says the frustrations of Remainers need to be listened to #AllOutPolitics.
— Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) March 26, 2019
Richard Harrington was one of three ministers to resign last night: https://t.co/o33egNdAqN pic.twitter.com/f2Gwerwn0S
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