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The BREXIT FIGHT Goes On

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April 24^th, 2020

Dear Friends and Supporters

These past two weeks have finally seen Brexit return to the agenda and today brought about the conclusion of the first week of trade negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The negotiations have covered a wide range of issues, however, zero real progress has been made, with the EU still refusing to allow the UK to make its own decisions across a wide range of areas. This afternoon the blame game started again, with the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier, repeating his mantra of: ‘There can be no piece-meal approach to negotiations.’ In other words, unless the UK totally falls in behind the EU on fisheries and a ‘Level Playing Field’, they do not want a comprehensive free trade deal! This is fine as far as Get Britain Out is concerned. We have little problem with Leaving the EU with No Deal, if this is what they insist on – we are already prepared and if this is how they plan to continue, we might as well leave NOW!

(If you want to see the schedule for this past weeks negotiations they can be seen here ([link removed]) – they have not released any schedule for the next set of negotiations so far).

Barnier has also said: ‘The UK cannot refuse an extension while also holding up talks by not compromising.’ What Nonsense! Just because we do not want to bend over backwards to please the EU does not mean we are sabotaging negotiations. If this is the logic the EU use then by not giving in to the demands of the UK, they are the ones blocking any progress. It is not one rule for the EU and another for the UK.

It really does seem like the EU do not understand what a country means by ‘Taking Back Control’ – or they are being deliberately obtuse. I think the latter is true!

Thankfully, the UK Government is holding firm and has rejected any ideas of an extension to the Transition Period - even if an extension was requested by the EU - the importance of which cannot be understated. It seems the EU has finally accepted this as the will of the UK Government and has given up with its ridiculous accusations of the UK not being clear about what it wants.

While January 31^st, 2019 marked a major victory on the path to Brexit, we will not be free from the EU until the Transition Period comes to an end. The massively well-funded ‘Remain’ agenda has already begun spinning their webs and spending zillions of pounds on trying to persuade people about the need for an extension. This decision would have catastrophic effects on our economy and our ability to act as an independent nation. As you can see in the graphic below, we are by no means free of the EU while we are controlled during the Transition Period and with the COVID-19 crisis causing economies in Europe to crumble. The cost of extending the Transition Period is only going to increase – and we will be expected to pay up at a moment’s notice.

All of these are vital issues which need to be resolved and sorted out by the end of this year - December 31^st, 2020. We simply cannot drift along any longer as they fundamentally undercut the UK’s sovereignty. If after nearly 5 years since voting to Leave the EU, we have still not ‘Taken Back Control’, what kind of democracy are we? This is why, as the Director of Get Britain Out, I have written to the 6 key Secretaries of State who are responsible for these issues, urging them to make clear to their EU counterparts, the UK will not remain under the control of Brussels beyond the Transition Period deadline. You can read all of these letters in the links at the end of this e-Bulletin.

While the UK and the EU have finally resumed trade talks with videoconferencing, it appears the Department of International Trade has shut up shop and has stopped talking with everyone else altogether! Talks with the USA have been suspended and trade discussion with other countries have failed to even get off the ground. Yes, of course we understand some staff may have been diverted to help deal with the COVID-19 crisis - and rightly so - but this should not mean everything grinds to a halt.

If we can get the UK and the EU to use videoconferencing for negotiations, surely we can get other countries to do so as well? These negotiations are key to the future of the UK economy and our recovery from the effects of COVID-19. If we are Leaving the EU on December 31^st, 2020 as per the Government’s promise, then we must get on with securing our future trading partners. Working with developing countries across the world is key to our recovery and getting ahead of our European competitors. As a result of this inaction and paralysis, I have also written to the Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss MP this week to ask her what she is doing at this time and what updates she can give the public on this vital issue. You can also read this letter at the bottom of this Bulletin.

Strangely enough, after we had sent this letter to Liz Truss, as well as the result of some Freedom of Information Requests and a Press Release I sent out this morning, this afternoon after 3pm, the Government uploaded some information about a few exchanges of letters between both the UK and the USA’s chief negotiators from 3 weeks ago (nothing since though, unfortunately)! This is a start, but the public needs to see much more action - and I cannot help but believe that Liz Truss - receiving my letter this week, and our press release sent out this morning - might just have had something to do with these old letters being released by the Government this afternoon!

As we spoke about earlier, the Remain agenda has certainly not gone away, least of all within the Civil Service, Remain MPs and former Remain MPs as well as the media. Just this week we have seen attempts from senior Civil Servants in the Foreign Office and the Cabinet Office to make difficulties for the Government on Brexit by trying to sow seeds of mistrust and doubt over Government unity on Brexit. Remainer Theresa May’s former number two, David Lidington, has been doing the press rounds again claiming a delay to Brexit and an extension to the Transition Period are inevitable.

Naturally some in the Remain-inclined media grabbed hold of any chance to say Brexit is a mistake, particularly by becoming obsessed with an EU scheme for ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) which the UK did not take part in. Naturally, they completely ignored the fact these EU schemes have failed to deliver any new ventilators or extra amounts of PPE to any participants so far! Once again, the reality of EU failures does not matter, as long as some in the media can moan about Brexit!

Remainers have already claimed a temporary victory over the delay of the Government’s new Immigration Bill introduced by Priti Patel - intended to implement the laws to allow a sensible points-based immigration system to come into effect at the end of the year. This Bill was pulled from the Parliamentary agenda this week because there was a fear that with the new electronic systems being used by the House of Commons - along with MPs only working a 3-day week at the moment - the Bill might not get proper scrutiny. In addition, it has been suggested Remainers in the House of Lords might be able to refuse its passage into law because of a lack of potential scrutiny in the House of Commons. This Bill has not been binned – it has only been delayed!

All this shows is the fight is not even close to being over to deliver on Brexit and the overall ‘Will of the People’. MPs need to get a grip and learn how to use technology, so this country can get moving again. This unfortunate and distressing COVID-19 virus outbreak is no excuse for vital legislation not to be passed.

However - some really good news. The press has reported the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to return to work in 10 Downing Street, as of next Monday (April 27^th). Boris has already even spoken to the United States President, Donald Trump, this week who said the PM was sounding back to his exuberant best. This is excellent news and couldn’t come at a better time. Our country needs you Boris - and your clear leadership - now more than ever.

Over in Brussels the past 2 weeks have seen internal issues mounting for the EU. Member States, including Italy and Spain, have become completely disenfranchised from the EU project after the EU has failed to help them in any meaningful way throughout the COVID-19 crisis. In Italy, 88% of people have felt abandoned by the EU and support for quitting the Union is now above 50%. Even with these pressures, the EU has still failed to agree any comprehensive response to COVID-19 at a key EU Council Summit on Thursday this week. However, they did agree any new EU Budget should be increased by a substantial amount. This is KEY! If we extend the Transition Period the UK will be expected to contribute to this new budget to the tune of £billions, even if we made a small extension. Money which the UK must be able to spend as it wishes instead of funding the Brussels gravy train.

We are all aware the fight for Brexit has been a long one and during these times of uncertainty it may be easier for some to think an extension wouldn’t be so bad, after all we are out of the EU. This is abhorrently wrong and would open the UK up to a whole range of issues and problems – including the Remainers’ £zillions being used to try and take us back into the EU!

Right now, it is more important than ever we escape from the grasp of Brussels and set ourselves up to recover and rebuild from this Pandemic as an independent ‘Global Britain’ which can act with flexibility and speed to respond to the problems of today.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO:
* Read our letters to key Secretaries of State HERE ([link removed])
* Read our letter to Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss MP HERE ([link removed])
* Update on the state of UK-USA Free Trade Agreement negotiations – as triggered by Get Britain Out ([link removed])
* Director of Get Britain Out, Jayne Adye has written for The EU Parliament Magazine on how the UK must not be pressured into requesting Brexit extension ([link removed])
* Jayne has also written for our Website making it plain and clear Brexit is not over until we have left the Transition Period. ([link removed])
* Senior Research Executive Josh Lawrie-Mackenzie has written for Global Vision on why The UK must avoid the EU’s ‘Level Playing Field’ trap ([link removed]) .


IMPORTANT STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
* Michel Barnier threatens to sink Brexit deal as he launches furious rant over fisheries – The Daily Express ([link removed])
* Remainer David Lammy MP (Who is now in the Shadow Cabinet) says country should revisit second Brexit Referendum after coronavirus – The New European ([link removed])
* Shanker Singham: Brexit – and why the transition period must not be extended beyond December this year - ConservativeHome ([link removed])
* Growing divide in Boris Johnson's Brexit unit over trade deal extension – CityA.M. ([link removed])
* The UK will not request an extension to the Brexit Transition Period - The Spectator ([link removed])
* Brussels insists on a 'Level Playing Field' post-Brexit, but what about the Eurozone? - The Daily Telegraph ([link removed])
* Britain 'would be forced to subsidise EU response to coronavirus if it agreed to Brexit extension' - The Daily Telegraph ([link removed])
* Progress on post-Brexit talks “disappointing” says Michel Barnier – CityA.M ([link removed]) .


That’s all for this e-Bulletin. I won’t make apologies for it being long, as there is a lot to update you on.

Thank you for your ongoing support which is very much appreciated.

Best wishes from Jayne Adye, Campaign Director and the Team at Get Britain Out – and keep yourselves safe.

P.S. Please don’t forget, we still 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. The virus is a massive interruption to all our lives, and we really wish you well, but there is still a great deal to do to finalise our Leaving the EU and setting up the trade deals we all need for our global future. The EU may be ready to sink, and is clearly not supporting the EU Member States, so the quicker we are properly OUT, the better!

My team are now working from home to keep themselves and colleagues safe – and so am I. As difficult as this clearly is, we still need to pay for salaries, phone calls, and we are required to still pay for our office and all other usual office costs – so we still need your help please.

Donations can be made via bank transfer, bank standing order, cheque or PayPal – all the details are HERE ([link removed]) .


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PLEASE NOTE: Cheques should be payable to The EU Referendum Campaign Limited and not Get Britain Out please HERE. ([link removed])
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 let me have 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.

Anyone not already signed up for our free fortnightly e-Bulletins can do so HERE ([link removed]) .

Remember, you can also get daily information and comments, plus press links, via our social media – Facebook ([link removed]) and Twitter ([link removed]) . 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 ([link removed]) . For updates on our Recommended Reading, you can find them via this link HERE ([link removed]) .

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 UNITED KINGDOM’S GLOBAL FUTURE.

Best wishes, as always, Jayne

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