British Prime Minister Theresa May has been adamant that the U.K. would leave the single market and customs union after Brexit | Matt Cardy/Getty Images UK business group: Government has no ‘clear plan’ for Brexit The president of the Confederation of British Industry said business was “no wiser” about Brexit than a year ago.

The U.K. government has no "clear plan" for Brexit and needs a "serious fact-based discussion about what the future looks like" outside the EU, Paul Drechsler, president of the Confederation of British Industry lobby group, said Sunday.

Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, Drechsler said that although the U.K.'s exit date of March 29, 2019 was "firmly in the ground" the government should "continue to operate to the principles and rules that we apply today" until it can figure out how to transition to a new system.

"We are no wiser today than we were 12 months ago in terms of what conditions business will be able to plan on for the future," said Drechsler, just days after CBI Director General Carolyn Fairbairn made the argument for staying in the single market in a speech at the London School of Economics.

Prime Minister Theresa May had been clear the U.K. would leave the single market and customs union, making traders wary of mile-long queues at ports and the prospect of an investment cliff-edge. Last week, the Engineering Employers’ Federation warned a "tipping point" could come in 2018 as companies tweak their investment plans for 2019.

On the subject of striking a free-trade deal with the U.S., Drechsler warned of rushing into a "bear hug" too quickly with one of the "best negotiating teams in the world" for trade deals. "A trade deal is a dog eat dog activity, it’s not a diplomatic activity," said Drechsler.