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No-deal Brexit will leave both Britain and Europe at greater risk, Security Minister warns

<em>A no-deal Brexit would leave both the EU and UK at greater risk, Security Minister Ben Wallace is warning (Picture: Getty)</em>
A no-deal Brexit would leave both the EU and UK at greater risk, Security Minister Ben Wallace is warning (Picture: Getty)

A no-deal Brexit would leave both the EU and UK at greater risk, Security Minister Ben Wallace will warn.

In a speech to law enforcement and security leaders, Mr Wallace was expected to argue that Theresa May’s Brexit deal is necessary to “keep everyone safe”, and leaving Europe without an agreement in place would have a “real impact” on authorities’ ability to protect the public.

Speaking at the International Security Expo in London, Mr Wallace will say: “The UK, through her experience of the last few decades has learnt that at the heart of effective security is close cooperation.

“And we and Europe know, from bitter experience, that often when there is a mistake or when something has been missed that we find, time and time again, that it has been due to a failure of cooperation.

“A no-deal situation would have a real impact on our ability to work with our European partners to protect the public.”

In an interview with the BBC, the Security Minister said: “The alternative to this deal isn’t pretty”, describing the importance of cooperation with the EU for security intelligence “in real time”.

Mr Wallace’s warning comes as a Government paper said a no-deal Brexit would mean Britain would lose access to EU databases used by police to track terrorists and criminals, leaving security agencies no longer able to access criminal records, alerts on wanted suspects, DNA, fingerprints and airline passenger information.

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Extradition requests would take longer, while cooperation on counter-terrorism, cyber security and illegal migration would be affected.

Mr Wallace’s speech was expected to outline how the Prime Minister’s Brexit agreement lays the groundwork for the most comprehensive security relationship the EU has ever had with another country.

The Government says the partnership would include the ability to exchange information on criminals and tackle terrorism, data on people travelling to and from the UK to spot potential threats, DNA and fingerprints, and to fast-track extraditions.

“This deal strikes the right balance to keep everyone safe,” Mr Wallace will say.

“It will be an ambitious partnership that ensures we can continue to work with our European partners in tackling our shared threats.”

Asked on BBC Breakfast if Britain would be safer under Mrs May’s deal than where we are now, he said: “We will be able to control our borders in ways that we currently can’t now.

“Sitting here as Security Minister, something that is really frustrating is I see people who are dangerous to this country. I can keep them out if they are coming direct from Syria or Turkey or somewhere else.”