John Baron MP endorses Government’s position on EU negotiations

The EU must accept Britain is an independent country

Yesterday the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, gave a Statement in the House of Commons setting out the Government’s position on the EU negotiations. The Government is still seeking a Canada-style trade agreement with the EU, but the EU’s negotiating stance does not recognise that Britain is an independent country, insisting that the UK operates largely the same fishing quotas and dynamically aligns with EU laws even in areas of critical national importance. Given the EU has indicated it will not offer the UK a Canada-style deal, the Government is coming to the conclusion that the talks are currently at a dead end.

John said,

“By insisting that Britain must dynamically align with its rules and regulations, the EU demonstrates that it has not come to terms with the fact that the UK is now an independent country like any other. No independent country would accept such terms, any more than the EU would agree to align with future British rules and regulations. A degree of realism is therefore required from the EU in order to strike the trade agreement that is in everyone’s interests.”

“Whilst the EU has dug in hard on several issues, the fact is the UK has quietly and efficiently agreed trade and fishing deals with Japan and Norway. Given that the UK has demonstrated its ability and willingness to make international agreements, the onus is on the EU to demonstrate to the UK, and to the world, that it is capable of agreeing a minimalist and off-the-shelf trade agreement with one of its closest neighbours. At the moment, the EU is the outlier.”

“The EU is keeping to its usual tactic of brinkmanship, and the Government must stand firm in its intention to walk away if a good deal can not be achieved. Whilst a deal is in everyone’s interests, the UK would thrive without one. Our relative advantages stand us in very good stead, and will easily outweigh low WTO tariffs averaging 3 – 5 %.”