Plane giant Airbus threatens to QUIT Britain if we leave the EU with No Deal Brexit
Business Minister Richard Harrington said Airbus was right to warn that a No Deal Brexit would destroy the economy
THERESA May's Business Minister challenged her to sack him today as he backed an incendiary No Deal warning from plane firm Airbus.
Europhile Tory Richard Harrington said he was “delighted” the Euro plane giant had threatened to close its British factories and sack thousands if the UK left the EU without a trade agreement.
And speaking to German industrialists he stormed: “I am very happy to public about it and very happy if the Prime Minister decides I am not the right person to the do the business industry job.
“[A No Deal Brexit] would be a total disaster for the economy, I was delighted to read Airbus’ comments this morning because it is telling it like it is.”
Airbus chief Tom Enders branded the PM’s handling of the Brexit negotiations a “disgrace”.
And he said the firm, which employs 14,000 staff in the UK, would be forced to invest away from Britain.
Don’t listen to the Brexiteers’ madness
Tom Enders
Mr Enders said: "Please don’t listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong.
“Of course, it is not possible to pick up and move our large UK factories to other parts of the world immediately.
“However, aerospace is a long-term business and we could be forced to redirect future investments in the event of a No Deal Brexit."
The company claimed ministers had asked them to "make sure you make clear the potential impact of a No Deal".
The Government has been accused of launching a Project Fear campaign to scare MPs into backing Mrs May's deal.
Today Downing Street was privately seething over Mr Harrington’s intervention.
But Philip Hammond also spoke out against No Deal, saying: "Leaving without a deal would undermine our future prosperity, and would equally represent a betrayal of the promises that were made."
It came just hours after it emerged he and nearly 20 other ministers met as recently as last Tuesday to discuss how to block a No Deal.
Arch Eurosceptic Iain Duncan Smith demanded the Ministers “row behind Theresa May or get out”.
He stormed: “They should remember the term ‘collective responsibility'.”
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