London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for London to be given a similar deal to Northern Ireland that would allow the city to stay in the single market and customs union after Brexit.
As news broke that Theresa May appeared to make major concessions to Northern Ireland in EU talks today, a post on the Mayor of London’s official Twitter page wrote that it had implications for London.
It said: “Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that it’s possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market & customs union after Brexit.”
Khan noted that the majority of the capital’s residents who voted in the referendum did not want Brexit to happen.
Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that it’s possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market & customs union after Brexit. Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) December 4, 2017
“Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs,” said the post.
Theresa May appeared to make major concessions in talks with the European Union today that triggered anger and alarm among Brexiteers that Northern Ireland would stay in the single market and continue taking direction from Brussels.
A draft agreement was reported to have been inserted at the last minute to say that Britain would guarantee “continued regulatory alignment” between the North and the Republic of Ireland.
This wording replaced the Irish demand for “no regulatory divergence”, allowing both sides to claim victory.
The apparent concessions set alarm bells ringing among both the Democratic Unionist Party, who are propping up Mrs May’s Government in the Commons, and Tory Right-wingers.
Meanwhile there was confusion over exactly what “regulatory alignment” amounts to.
It has been widely viewed as a way to avoid customs and other infrastructure changes that could jeopardise peace in Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement.
Khan added in a subsequent Tweet that The clear solution to this government chaos is a deal that protects both the Good Friday agreement and our national economy after Brexit – UK remaining in the single market and customs union.
The clear solution to this government chaos is a deal that protects both the Good Friday agreement and our national economy after Brexit – UK remaining in the single market and customs union.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) December 4, 2017
