// BRC responds to latest vote on Brexit, in which MPs agreed to seek permission from the EU to extend deadline
// BRC said the vote offered a “glimmer of hope” that the UK won’t crash out without a deal
// However, it urged MPs to move forward and put an end to uncertainty for retailers
The British Retail Consortium has issued a warning that the UK “stands on a knife edge”, after the House of Commons voted in favour of delaying the date of Brexit.
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Last night, MPs voted to allow Prime Minister Theresa May to seek permission from the EU for an extension on Article 50 after it voted on Tuesday that the UK should not leave the EU without a deal.
If granted, this extension could mean the UK would not divorce the EU on March 29, but at a later date that could be June 30.
The BRC said the latest vote offered a “glimmer of hope” that the UK would not crash out of the EU without a deal but urged Parliament to put an end to the uncertainty.
“It is now absolutely essential that MPs put aside their differences and coalesce around a positive route forward,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
“Without definitive action by MPs in the next six days, we will see the UK crashing out of the EU on March 29th without a deal.
“This would inevitably lead to higher prices and less choice on the shelves for consumers. The uncertainty surrounding a no deal Brexit is already harming the UK economy.
“Britain stands on a knife edge. Parliament must put an end to this uncertainty.”
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