Barclays UK chairman Sir Ian Cheshire: Get on with Brexit
Barclays UK chairman Sir Ian Cheshire has urged the government to press ahead with Brexit, becoming the latest City figure to express his frustration at the continued uncertainty in Westminster.
The pro-Remain businessman, who was previously the boss of Kingfisher, told the BBC this morning that Downing Street’s agreement with the EU is “an acceptable deal”.
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He said: “No deal is perfect but this deal is actually doable and it is I think very frustrating to see what appears to be a protracted process when most business leaders would like to see some certainty and get on.”
The former chair of embattled retailer Debenhams added: “The chances of yet another round of negotiations are extremely unlikely to yield anything significantly different and now the delay is beginning to affect consumer confidence, particularly investment confidence and I think we have to push ahead and make the best of what we’ve got coming down the track.”
The comments come days after reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was calling on top business figures to support his deal publicly.
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Parliament is set for a fresh showdown this week, with Commons speaker John Bercow expected to decide whether the government can bring forward a “meaningful vote” on its plans.
On Saturday the government abandoned its plans for a vote following a major blow from Sir Oliver Letwin, whose amendment forced the PM to seek a Brexit extension.