British government defends need for secrecy in Brexit negotiations

Britain's Conservative government has defended the need for secrecy during negotiations to leave the EU, as Labour demanded that a detailed plan should be published before the start of formal talks. Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that MPs and the public were entitled to know before Theresa May triggers article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty the approach the government is intending to take.

Introducing a motion calling for the government to publish such a plan, Sir Keir said it should outline the government's approach to such issues as the single market, the customs union and any transitional arrangements after Britain leaves the EU. He said that conflicting signals from government ministers and the prime minister's refusal to offer any detail on her negotiating stance were creating a damaging level of uncertainty.

“That uncertainty causes anxiety across the UK, in businesses, among working people, and in our nations and regions. It has to end, as it causes more damage to the process than anything else at the moment. The house, the public, businesses, working people, the media and our communities are entitled to know the basis on which the government intend to negotiate their future,” he said.

Amended version

The government agreed to support an amended version of Labour’s motion, which included an acceptance that article 50 should be triggered by the end of March next year. But Brexit secretary

David Davis

told MPs that a measure of secrecy was necessary in all high-level international negotiations.

“The reason for this is to retain room for manoeuvre, including the ability to give and take, to trade off different interests, to maximise the value of concessions, and to do so without always giving the other side advance notice. We must retain the ability to negotiate with a high degree of agility and speed; the more complex the negotiation, the more parties to it, and the more time-pressured it is, the more important that is,” he said.

Mr Davis offered one important concession, however, when he suggested that MPs would be allowed to vote on any deal that emerges from Britain’s negotiations with the EU.

"It is inconceivable to me that if the European Parliament has a vote, this house does not. It is as simple as that," he said.

Some detail

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Charlie Flanagan

discussed Brexit in London on Wednesday with a number of MPs, including Labour’s

Hillary Benn

, who chairs the Commons select committee on Brexit. Mr Flanagan said that, six months after June’s referendum, it was time for the British government to offer some detail about what it wanted from the negotiations with the EU.

"I think it's important that we see some of the detail. We have had slogans. As we approach the end of the year, we should be moving now towards the detailed framework upon which the negotiations can take place. I would welcome a white paper, if that is in the planning. But I believe it's important that we in Ireland are appraised of the detail and the frame within which the British will come to the table," he said.

The amended Commons motion was passed by a majority of more than 300 on Wednesday night, with the Scottish National party, the Liberal Democrats and a handful of other MPs voting against it.