PRIME Minister Theresa May's announcement that there will be no 'half in, half out' departure from the European Union has been met with mixed reviews from senior figures in Cumbria.

MPs John Woodcock and Tim Farron have both been critical of the PM for pursuing a 'hard' Brexit which would leave the UK completely out of the single market.

Barrow's Labour MP Mr Woodcock said Mrs May was being either "highly naive or cynically misleading" to believe it would be possible to secure a deal with the EU where trade terms are as good as they are with the UK in the union.

"This is potentially bad news for communities right across our area and Britain because leaving the single market may cost us many jobs and really hurt the living standards of people across the country," he said.

Lib Dem leader Mr Farron said: “Here in Cumbria, businesses rely on being part of the single market so they can export to our biggest trading partner without facing punitive tariffs. Local businesspeople will be rightly concerned that Theresa May has decided to wave the white flag about membership of the single market."

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He was also critical of the decision to put the final deal to a vote in Parliament without affording the electorate the same privilege.

Rob Johnston, chief executive of the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, was more optimistic of the wider trade opportunities that may become available.

He believes a strong trade deal with Europe would be simple enough to achieve as "it is in everybody's best interest."

"We need to maintain the best we can in terms of barrier-free trade with the EU but it's the other other opportunities around the world we need to understand," he said. "Cumbria is a great county with a lot of products and services and it should have a great future in an international business community."

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris added: "Creating a positive constructive partnership with the EU is not just to the benefit of constituents in the United Kingdom but also to the EU itself."