Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, has reacted to the release of the Brexit technical notices with staunch criticism calling them mostly “nonsense” owing to the lack of detail on how guarantees by the Government will be delivered.

The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Dominic Raab, released 24 of 80 technical notices on how the UK Government will respond in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Many of these initial documents focused on issues of significant importance to Cambridge, including the regulation of medicines and medical equipment, research funding under Horizon 2020 and the Erasmus+ programme.

Mr Zeichner said: “It is quite astonishing that these documents do not address the monumental issues that a no-deal will create but rather are merely an attempt by the Government to paper over the cracks of Chequers and Conservative infighting.”

“As the old saying goes, the devil is in the detail but here there is none and without it these documents are nothing more than nonsense. In the case of the Horizon 2020 notice, where is the funding to underwrite current awards going to come from? How will it be distributed to universities? When are the systems going to be in place so universities can start planning? These are very important points that need to be answered and we are running out of time.”

“I have no doubt that a no-deal will be a dreadful situation for companies, organisations and institutions based in and around Cambridge. The current relationship we have with the EU is the best one by far and I want us to keep it that way.”

Mr Zeichner will be speaking at a People’s Vote rally in Cambridge this Sunday (2nd September) in support of a second referendum on the final deal. The event will be held at the Cambridge Junction with Mr Zeichner due to speak at 15:15.