Worksop’s Labour Member of the European Parliament warns a No Deal Brexit will be a ‘disaster'

Worksop’s Labour Member of the European Parliament Rory Palmer has warned that a No Deal Brexit will be a ‘disaster with incredibly serious consequences for our area’.
MEP Rory Palmer (centre)MEP Rory Palmer (centre)
MEP Rory Palmer (centre)

Speaking at The Crossing in Worksop, Rory Palmer highlighted the local risks of No Deal including a possible recession with an eight per cent fall in GDP, job losses, stalled investment, chaos at the ports leading to food shortages, problems with medicines supply into the country and police facing problems accessing EU-wide data sets on wanted criminals.

One forecast on the economic shock No Deal Brexit could put 750,000 jobs at risk across the country, including 50,000 in the East Midlands.

Rory Palmer said: “A No Deal would be a disaster for our area with incredibly serious consequences reaching into every area of our lives.

MEP Rory Palmer (centre)MEP Rory Palmer (centre)
MEP Rory Palmer (centre)

"This is not project fear and nor is it scaremongering, this is project reality.

"I have looked in detail at the forecasts from the Bank of England, the OBR and from organisations representing businesses, No Deal will hit the economy hard and it’s ordinary people across Bassetlaw that will pay the highest price.

“A No Deal recession with job losses would be a disaster. Higher food prices would push more families below the breadline and into poverty.

"No Deal would cause real pain to the NHS with extremely serious impacts. Interest rates would rise meaning higher mortgage payments.

"Critically, in the 2016 Referendum campaign the official Leave campaign made the case for leaving the EU with a deal, not without a deal.

"This is not what was promised and it’s why a No Deal Brexit must be ruled out.

“I will continue to warn on the serious and chaotic consequences of No Deal.

"I am extremely worried about what a No Deal Brexit could mean for the area.

"From when I first became an MEP businesses and employers in the region have been telling me that No Deal would be the worst case scenario for them.

"Trading on WTO terms is bad news for businesses across the area. It’s now staring us in the face and to protect jobs and living standards it cannot be allowed to happen.

"The new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, does not have a mandate for a No Deal Brexit.

“From the Prime Minister down, those pushing No Deal Brexit must be honest with people about what it will mean.

"And what it will mean is recession, jobs at risk, higher prices at the checkouts and petrol stations, chaos at the ports, medicines shortages and mortgage rates going up.

"It would be a disaster and one that can and must be avoided.”