9 October 2017
Shailesh Vara calls on businesses to use their EU links to impress on the EU leadership the need for an agreement in everyone's interest

Shailesh Vara welcomes the Prime Minister's statement to the House of Commons on Britain's future economic relationship with the European Union and calls on British businesses with interests in other EU countries to use their influence to impress on EU political leaders the need for an agreement in everyone's interest.

Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire) (Con)

May I congratulate the Prime Minister on her very encouraging and positive statement? Does she agree that it would be helpful if British businesses with interests in other European Union countries used their influence with the political leadership in those countries to impress upon them the need to have an agreement in everyone’s interest? In particular, does she agree that they need to emphasise that the economic impact of not having an agreement by March 2019 will not only affect Britain, but hugely affect the other EU countries as well?

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend has made a very important point, and I certainly would encourage businesses and others to ensure that they are making that clear with their contacts in the 27 member states. I believe that that is already happening, and I certainly meet people from across the European Union who make exactly the point that it is in their economic interests to ensure that we get a good deal negotiated by March 2019.

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