Prime Minister's plan for Brexit is a '˜reckless gamble'

Caroline Lucas, who is also The Green Party’s co-leader, criticised Theresa May, saying the Prime Minister is ‘willing to sacrifice our economy at the altar of ending free movement’.

This comes ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech on Brexit later today (January 17).

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of The Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “The Prime Minister’s plan- to yank us out of the single market while attempting to negotiate bilateral trade deals- is a reckless gamble. Not only will this lose British businesses - many of them small and medium sized - membership of a market of 500m customers, but we run the risk of losing the crucial environmental and social protections that come with the single market. Theresa May is willing to sacrifice our economy at the altar of ending free movement rather than making sure the benefits are shared more fairly - we believe that is utterly misguided.

“The devil will be in the detail of today’s speech, but the early signs are of a Prime Minister willing to throw this country off the Brexit cliff edge to appease some of the more extreme Brexiteers in her party while the rest of us suffer the consequences.”