Government's 'muddled' approach means EU transition deal could be 'meaningless waffle', former Brexit minister warns

Tory peer says ministers have provided 'no clear answers' to key questions about Britain's future relationship with Europe

Lord Bridges said the Government not could rely on 'muddling through' Brexit negotiations

Conservative divisions over Brexit could lead to a trade deal with the EU that is little more than “meaningless waffle”, a former Tory Brexit minister has warned.

Lord Bridges, who left the Government in July, said ministers’ “confusing” and “muddled” approach meant they had provided "no clear answers" on the UK's future relationship with Europe,.

Speaking during a House of Lords debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, the peer said: “What is the country we wish to build once we have left the European Union? Only once we have answered this question can we properly and fully answer the second question - what agreement do we want to strike with the European Union? What do we value more, parliamentary sovereignty and control, or market access and trade?

"Four months on, and there are still no clear answers to these basic, critical questions. All we hear, day after day, are conflicting, confusing voices.”

"If this continues, and ministers cannot agree among themselves on the future relationship the Government wants, how can this Prime Minister possibly negotiate a clear, precise heads of terms for the future relationship with the EU?"

He added: "My fear is that we will get meaningless waffle in a political declaration in October.

"The implementation period will not be a bridge to a clear destination. It will be a gang plank into thin air."

"The EU will have the initiative in the second stage of the negotiations and we shall find ourselves forced to accept a deal that gives us access to EU markets, but without UK politicians having a meaningful say over swathes of legislation and regulation.

"Some may say this outcome would not be the end of the world. Some may say it's inevitable. My point today is this. At this pivotal moment in our history, we cannot, we must not, indulge in that very British habit of just muddling through."

"With under 300 working days until we leave the European Union, we need to know the Government's answers to these simple questions."

Lord Bridges' comments came on a difficult day for the Government on Brexit. A leaked impact assessment revealed the UK would be worse off under a range of different Brexit scenarios, forcing ministers to defend their decision not to release the information to MPs.

During an Urgent Question on the issue in the House of Commons, Brexit minister Steve Baker appeared to question his own department's assessment, saying civil service assessments are "always wrong".

He claimed the leaking of the document was “an attempt to undermine our exit from the European Union” - a claim that a Downing Street spokesman later refused to endorse.