February 28th 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters
After a seemingly pointless delay, the United Kingdom and the European Union have finally set out their positions for the upcoming year-long negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement and more.
The EU, as we might have expected, has set out to try and keep the UK as closely tied to the EU as possible - in direct conflict with our vote to Leave. The fundamental weapon in the EU’s arsenal is the so-called ‘level playing field’ (the UK staying in alignment with EU regulations in certain areas e.g. State Aid and taxation) which the EU says must be in place if the UK wants to have a trade deal. To make it nice and simple, Get Britain Out has put together a simple graphic of the EU’s key demands. A downloadable version can be found HERE for you to pass out to your friends and colleagues.
In response, on Thursday the UK Government released its full negotiating position and it makes very good reading for Brexiteers. Gone are the wishy washy approaches of Theresa May and instead there are clear commitments to stand up and fight for the right of the UK to really ‘Take Back Control’ of our money, borders, laws and waters. Prominently, Government has completely rejected the idea of any legally-binding alignment with the EU on any matter and wants to base our future relationship with the EU on the deal the EU has already signed with Canada. This is the type of agreement the EU actually offered the UK back in 2017, but Theresa May turned it down! Now Boris Johnson has said he would take this deal, but the EU has started to move the goalposts, adding commitments over regulations and access to our fishing waters, which have always been off-limits as far as the UK is concerned.
In Parliament on Thursday, Michael Gove (The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the man responsible for ‘No Deal’ preparations) made it perfectly clear the UK would not treat control of our fishing waters as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. They are two separate issues!! Watch the video HERE. Fix link please
What is so noticeable now is the difference in approach and the believability of the UK’s demands. Back in 2017, under Theresa May and the odious Remainer Olly Robbins, the UK’s negotiating team was controlled and driven by Remainers. The suggestion the UK could walk away on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms were simply not believed. This is in vast contrast to the new approach of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister and his chief negotiator David Frost, both Brexiteers who actually believe in the cause. So it was good to see the Government make the commitment that if negotiations have not progressed sufficiently by the next European Council Summit taking place from June 18th – 19th 2020, then the UK Government will break off negotiations and pursue a WTO-terms exit, based on the relationship which the EU has with Australia and many other parts of the world.
However, this doesn’t mean everything else is perfect and we at Get Britain Out intend to keep up the pressure on the Prime Minister and the Government as a whole, as it’s not all about trade. Next week we will be writing to the PM again to ask him to give clarity on the Government’s position on security and the UK participating in EU Defence Union programmes, because the Government’s new position paper does not rule it out - something which we believe it should.
In other major news, last week the Government launched its points-based immigration system. This prioritises the possession of a job offer, an ability to speak English and having skills to offer the country. This is very welcome. However, the Government has not decided to set any target numbers for net immigration into the country. Despite widespread popularity for this policy from the public, the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has faced large-scale backlash from Civil Servants within her department who have now accused her of bullying. Of course the Remain media jumped on the story and began demands for her to resign. Thankfully, Boris Johnson emphatically rejected such calls, emphasising his total confidence in her.
What has it come to when unelected Civil Servants are trying to oust elected MPs from their jobs in Government because they disagree with their approach and policy decisions? It really is time for reform of what is increasingly becoming the ‘Silly Civil Service’.
Perhaps with the rapid spread of ‘Corona Virus’ – Covid-19 - across Europe, EU Member States will learn from the UK and actually adopt firmer borders which will allow them to actually control who is coming in and out of their countries. Surely if the virus continues to spread, the Schengen free travel area should be brought to an end for the safety and health of people across the world.
The points-based immigration system is one which Get Britain Out welcomes wholeheartedly, but in the years after Brexit, we must make sure we are encouraging home-grown talent, which we keep here in the UK. A key area where adjustments must be made is in the medical profession. Nurses and doctors trained in the UK and receiving money from the Government for doing so, must stay and work inside the NHS for a considerable number of years, instead of thousands chasing higher salaries overseas, immediately after qualifying here. There is no point in the UK becoming an independent nation if we cannot encourage our best talent to stay and help build a better country. We must not be reliant on other countries in key areas.
A big part of this should also come from a boost to adult education – especially with an aging population - something which the Government seems to be ignoring at this crucial time. If we want to succeed as Global Britain we must begin by building up the skills of those we have at home so we can generate more innovation and push forward as a country.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO:
IMPORTANT STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
- Read the UK’s full negotiating position HERE.
- Read the EU’s full negotiating mandate HERE.
- Priti Patel - With Brexit done it is time to deliver promised points-based immigration system and take back control of who we let in - The Sun
- Britain talks tough: UK's new trade negotiator David Frost says: 'Economic competition' after Brexit could benefit all of Europe as he uses his maiden speech to rule out sticking to EU directives - The Daily Mail
- EU Slammed By Academics For Lying Brexit Graph - Guido Fawkes
- EU gripped by budget chaos after Brexit: Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden REFUSE to pay for one trillion Euro plan to help poor regions fight climate change and plug budget black hole left by Britain's departure - The Daily Mail
- Boris Johnson rejects Brussels’ trade demands in just four hours after EU sets out string of conditions for Britain - The Sun
- UK State Debt Levels Are Fine – Sir John Redwood MP – Get Britain Out
- EU’s super-Eurocrat Barnier is deluded – this is how to beat him, says FREDERICK FORSYTH - The Daily Express
- What EU Budget Talks Say About Europe’s Future – Real Clear World
- Could the Government really ditch the Northern Ireland protocol? - CapX
That’s all for this e-Bulletin.
Best wishes from Jayne Adye, Campaign Director and the Team at Get Britain Out
P.S. Please don’t forget, we really need your help with donations to make sure we secure the best Brexit for the United Kingdom in the ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union and the rest of the world.
Hopefully we will secure the best free trade deal with the EU (unless they want to cut off their noses to spite their faces) – or a ‘NO DEAL’ on WTO terms if they mess us around. Unfortunately we cannot do this without money to pay for our office and the salaries of my very few staff. All donations are gratefully appreciated. Every £ counts. Thank you to everyone who is able to help, although we realise it is not possible for everyone.
Donations can be made via bank transfer, bank standing order, cheque or PayPal – all the details are HERE.
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PLEASE NOTE: Cheques should be payable to The EU Referendum Campaign Limited and not Get Britain Out please. Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit card donations (unless via PayPal) - or foreign currency cheques. With such a small team, we cannot personally thank all of those who donate to the campaign, but your contributions are very much appreciated. If you would like an acknowledgement, please provide your e-mail address.
P.P.S. IMPORTANT: We know you are already committed to Brexit, but please continue to circulate this e-Bulletin to even more people. There are many who will also want to be more informed.
Please encourage all your family and friends to continue to support Get Britain Out and circulate this e-Bulletin to all their friends while we continue the fight. Brexit is not over yet - we have much more to do before we get the free trade deal with EU and to help the UK’s future global success.
Anyone not already signed up for our free fortnightly e-Bulletins can do so HERE.
Remember, you can also get daily information and comments, plus press links, via our social media – Facebook and Twitter. There are also daily links to Brexit press articles on our website (once my staff are in the office Monday to Friday) via this link HERE. For updates on our Recommended Reading, you can find them via this link HERE.
A MASSIVE thank-you, as always, to everyone who helps us try and secure the Best Brexit for our nation. We will not stop our work until we are completely free of the constraints of the EU. With a small team, we are unable to answer queries at length, so if you do send us brief comments, they should be sent to: [email protected]. We can only reply briefly, but if it is urgent, please put URGENT in the Subject Line.
Huge thanks again to everyone. GET BRITAIN OUT will continue to fight for as long as it takes to try and make sure we get the best relationship and free trade deal with our close neighbours in the EU - as well as with countries around the world - for our THE UNITED KINGDOM’S GLOBAL FUTURE.
Jayne
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