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No-deal Brexit would be 'crazy' says Business Secretary Greg Clark

Business Secretary Greg Clark has said a no-deal Brexit would damage business prosperity.

The Tunbridge Wells MP said that it would be "crazy" to leave the EU without some kind of agreement.

His comments come on the third day of debate on the Brexit deal in Parliament which is focusing on the impact on the economy.

Business Secretary Greg Clark
Business Secretary Greg Clark

In an interview, he said: “We need to have an agreement... the idea of uncertainty and not knowing what our trading relationship is going to be is not something that we can contemplate with any complacency.

"We have to have an agreement”.

The UK was leading the world in life sciences and wanted to take advantage of the success in that field, he said.

Asked if the UK was ready for a no-deal Brexit, he told Sky News: “Well, we can make preparations that are possible to make and we have published throughout the year an indication of what steps businesses would need to take in that eventuality but some things cannot be avoided.

"The bulk of our just in time manufacturing goes through the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel.

"That whole route and the system is based on having no customs checks and it is very effective.

“It is simply not possible to build at the entrance to the tunnel huge [buildings] for customs checks. There is simply not the time and the (entrance) to the tunnel was built between two cliffs so there isn't the space.

"That is a good example of why we need an agreement.

“It would be crazy just at a time of the prospect of great prosperity to introduce not just obstacles but to really destroy the foundations of the success of some of our most brilliant industries.”

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