No-Deal Brexit Highly Possible, Not As Scary As Portrayed In Media - Leave Campaigner

A no-deal Brexit both in terms of political and diplomatic agreements, as well as in terms of trading arrangements, which would mean leaving on WTO terms, is more than real, and the latter is much less harmful for the country than presented in the media frenzy, Brendan Chilton, the general secretary of the Labour Leave campaign group, told Sputnik

GENOA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2019) A no-deal Brexit both in terms of political and diplomatic agreements, as well as in terms of trading arrangements, which would mean leaving on WTO terms, is more than real, and the latter is much less harmful for the country than presented in the media frenzy, Brendan Chilton, the general secretary of the Labour Leave campaign group, told Sputnik.

Chilton believes that "there is nothing to worry about" in case of the UK's withdrawal from the bloc with a no-deal.

"At the moment, even if the withdrawal agreement passes, we do not have a deal. We have an agreement by which we are going to leave the EU, but we do not have the deal for the future. So actually, even if this withdrawal agreement passes, we are leaving with no deal, because we have not secured the future trading arrangements, we have not secured future diplomatic terms, we have not secured security arrangements and the partnerships we need to have on various other fronts. So actually, no deal is the withdrawal agreement," he said.

According to Chilton, leaving the bloc without trade arrangements means the withdrawal on WTO terms.

"Most countries around the world operate on these terms, or variation of them, it's nothing to worry about, and we will be in the position to influence them, and it's just an exciting media frenzy that is going on, and I think the UK will manage, as we always have done," he added.

The UK House of Commons has rejected the withdrawal deal agreed by the UK government and the European Union twice. The parliament has voted against a no-deal Brexit, but in favor of an exit delay.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed earlier in the day that she had written to European Council President Donald Tusk to inform him that London would seek a Brexit extension until June 30. Tusk responded he believes a short Brexit extension possible, but conditional on a positive vote on the withdrawal deal in the UK House of Commons.

Chilton recalled that in accordance with the legislation that the House of Commons passed by invoking Article 50, the United Kingdom has to leave the bloc on March 29, and, the reality says that it must take place with a no-deal. Thus, any extension will require changes to the legislation, the campaigner said.