Response to PM's latest Brexit update in House of Commons

Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said:

“This is another bleak day for business. While the Government’s move to consult more widely is welcome, as is the commitment to scrap the settled status charge for EU citizens, the fundamentals have not changed. Parliament remains in deadlock while the slope to a cliff edge steepens.

“The Government should accept that no deal in March 2019 must be off the table. Politicians on both sides of the Commons need to step back from their increasingly entrenched positions.

“It is vital they focus on three key principles: a deal that commands consensus in Parliament, can be negotiated with the EU and protects livelihoods in communities across the UK. There must be a new cross-party approach, where leaders compromise and find a path that safeguards the economy.”