In response to recent reports that Boris Johnson, the new British Prime Minister, was willing to leave the EU with “no deal”, Green Party MEP, Catherine Rowett made the following statement:
“The Green Party has been as consistent as it has been unequivocal that it thinks the best interests of Britain are served by staying in the EU. Our leaders and MEPs have continuously reaffirmed that the best deal Britain can have with the other 27 EU member states is the deal that we currently have with the EU. Any less favourable deal will be detrimental to the interests of the UK, and all future deals that take us out of the EU are bound to be less favourable.
“Boris Johnson’s threat of a no-deal Brexit (with all the ramifications that crashing out of the trading bloc will have on the UK’s businesses, farmers, workers, consumers, etc.) is utterly reprehensible and should be immediately taken off the table.
In terms of how the UK should proceed now: it is clear that we have reached a political impasse that threatens the very fabric of the UK. Everything from the union with Scotland to peace in Northern Ireland is at risk, and so any deal negotiated with the EU needs to go back to the people through a People’s Vote. I do not think that any deal other than the one we have at present could secure the support of a majority of the people, or a majority of the MPs in parliament. The best way to test this hypothesis is to have a vote on it.
“I and my Green Party colleagues in Europe will be campaigning to remain in the EU. The deal that we have at present, as a full member of the EU, is the best deal we could have. It includes a seat at the table to decide future matters that concern us. Issues such as climate change, social justice and human rights do not stop at national borders. They are by their very nature international.
“We need to be working more closely with our European neighbours and indeed countries across the world to guarantee better conditions for all people and most importantly an urgent action to tackle climate change, so that we don’t jeopardise our children’s future. A no deal Brexit takes us further away from our European partners and thus further away from achieving those goals. I urge our government to rule out this option, and not to make any changes to our relationship with the EU without first securing full support for their proposal from all those affected, including the citizens of other EU countries who have made their home in Britain.”