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Tim Montgomerie: ‘The business voice does not have the influence it did’


Amid the noise, business is struggling to be heard


BREXIT IS PUSHING BUSINESS DOWN THE AGENDA, INDUSTRY LEADERS HAVE BEEN TOLD. IAN TAYLOR REPORTS


siness has ost infence on oiticians an nees to or harer to reain it a eain oitica commentator has to trae instr eaers


Tim Montgomerie, a former


Times columnist, told the Guild of Travel Management Companies’ (GTMC) domestic conference in London: “The business voice does not have the influence it did. It will have to work harder to stay at the top of the political agenda. eflecting on the crisis over


72travelweekly.co.uk13 December 2018


Brexit, he said: “It’s a struggle to understand what happened yesterday or the day before, let alone to know what will happen tomorrow or next week. This is a real crisis. But speaking ahead of the delay to MPs’ Brexit vote, he said: “Theresa May’s deal is not going to get through. er days are numbered. The Brexit agreement “is


her flagship and the prime minister would have to resign or “be ousted if it fails, he said.


Montgomerie suggested May


would attempt to hang on but forecast there would be “a new Tory leader very soon who “will either take us into another general election or, less likely, a second referendum. e summarised the problem


the government faces as: “A majority of electors voted to leave the E, but a majority of MPs want to remain. owever, Montgomerie dismissed the idea that MPs could adopt an alternative course on Brexit, saying: “Parliament can’t force a government to introduce a policy it does not want to.


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