May 7th 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters
Over the past fortnight we have FINALLY seen a ramp-up of post-Brexit preparations with the Government getting back to work in many departments. The United Kingdom and the United States of America have officially begun trade talks this week (following very intense pressure from us here at Get Britain Out!), with the International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss and her team finally holding videoconferencing meetings with United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and further meetings will continue over the next two weeks. This trade deal will hopefully incorporate the easing of trade for our services industry and reduce tariffs on some of our top exports to the USA, such as cars, ceramics and whisky. These trade talks have the added benefit of increasing pressure on the European Union. With the UK’s path to a global future clearer, the need for any trade deal with the EU decreases.
We have also seen the return of Prime Minister Boris Johnson after fully recovering from COVID-19. Good to have you back, Prime Minister – along with the happy news for Boris and his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, having just welcomed their first baby Wilfred, into the world.
Before we go any further, we at Get Britain Out are very thankful for the support and financial contributions we receive from some of our supporters. As you know, we are still working very hard to hold the Government’s feet to the fire to ensure a proper Brexit before the end of the Transition Period on December 31st 2020. However, unlike many within the Remain-biased media would have you believe, the Transition Period is not Brexit. There is still a huge job to do and we are making sure it gets done. With other Brexit campaigns having already closed up shop, my small team at Get Britain Out is having to work harder than ever to make sure Brexit is still on the agenda and the voices of Brexiteers are heard. Without more donations over the next 7 months, we simply won’t be able to continue. Get Britain Out has always been a ‘free to use’ campaign, but we do need financial assistance to help to deliver a true Brexit which reflects what we all voted for nearly 4 years ago.
Please can I ask you to dig deep into your pockets so we can continue to run Get Britain Out until the end of this year (and yes, I do understand not all of you cannot afford to do so). This is really important and I believe many of you appreciate our campaign and what we are doing.
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Get Britain Out has collated a useful table for all of our supporters to show the progress the UK is making in trade discussions with countries all over the world and not just the USA – this can be read HERE.
We must be careful though, as our trade deals with countries around the world are balanced on a knife-edge and won’t be a walk in the park. This is why it is concerning to hear American Members of the Senate arguing collaboration between the UK and the USA should be limited - especially on matters of security - because of this Government’s decision to move forward with the involvement of Chinese-owned Huawei in the creation of our 5G programme. This is a decision which must be reviewed in these worrying times. Our priority should be rebuilding our relationships with our traditional allies - not bowing down to China!
On the EU - it appears the EU may have finally got the message: the Transition Period will not be extended. They need to be negotiating properly and rethink their demands on things like the ‘Level Playing Field’, European Court of Justice jurisdiction, and fishing. The UK will walk away unless the EU’s ridiculous demands do not change. However, the UK should also be taking notes from the EU who have restarted their ‘No Deal’ preparations - something which we must also do, as it has been weeks since we heard anything on the matter from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove MP – the man responsible for 'No Deal’ planning!
Our Chief Brexit Negotiator, David Frost, has challenged the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier for the 2 of them to meet 1:1 to hash out the complicated issues which remain hurdles in the Brexit talks. It is clear our man has been told by the Prime Minister - time and time again - the Transition Period will not be extended, so he is offering a solution to the EU to land a fair deal. Barnier has not yet responded! This epitomises the attitude the EU has toward Brexit - complete disregard and lack of respect. Something tells us he is playing for time in an attempt to coax the UK into an extension – which CANNOT and MUST NOT HAPPEN.
Any 1:1 discussions will have to work in parallel with the 2nd round of large-scale negotiations with the EU, beginning next week via videoconferencing. This should pick up on any success from the 1st round back in April and the many sub-committee negotiations which have been taking place over the course of the past 2 weeks. One of these is the committee on Northern Ireland in which the EU again tried to push the ridiculous demand for an EU Customs Office in Belfast. This would be a blatant breach of the Good Friday Agreement, something which the EU has always claimed to be defending. EU HYPOCRISY exposed yet again!
Despite its ridiculousness, the EU maintains its demand for total access to our British waters on an ongoing basis for years to come even though we are no longer in the EU. It still seems the EU does not understand what it means by ‘Taking Back Control’ and this appears to have become the major sticking point as both Barnier and Frost have stood firm on this proclaimed deal-breaker. The UK must reclaim its full 200-mile maritime border and the right to independently fish within our border, no longer dictated by Brussels. A deal may be struck to allow limited access to our waters, but this should only be on a year by year basis with us in control! We are not demanding anything radical, simply the right of every sovereign country to control our own sovereign waters and not have them exploited by foreign vessels.
Finally, recent news has shown a dramatic drop in EU exports to the UK. This means Britons are already buying less from the EU and we are preferring goods grown/made here in the UK as well as goods from all over the world, not just the EU. In total, EU exports into the UK fell by 11.4% this quarter compared to the same quarter of 2019. This equates to €300 billion over the course of the year. This is a fact which Barnier should pay attention to. If the EU continues to refuse reasonable requests from the UK Government, then a World Trade Organisation exit is the only reasonable option, which could cause EU sales to the UK to fall even further, disrupting Member States’ economies right at the time when they need all the help they can get. However, bearing in mind how the EU has responded to COVID-19 so far and the lack of help for its Member States, it seems those in Brussels simply doesn’t care about the consequences of their ideological political decisions.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO:
IMPORTANT STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
- Germany’s top court clashes with European Central Bank in revolutionary ruling – The Daily Telegraph
- Arron Banks, founder of Leave.EU, wins his case against the Electoral Commission and all charges have been dropped – The Daily Express
- Europe’s ‘Level Playing Field’ has disintegrated – and so has Mr Barnier’s Brexit – The Daily Telegraph
- UK – USA Trade Talks officially begin – Gov.uk
- Michael Gove labels UK decision not to extend Brexit Transition Period beyond 2020 ‘plain prudence’ - The Evening Standard
- Downing Street is pushing for 1-on-1 negotiations between Chief Brexit Negotiators David Frost and Michel Barnier to get a deal done - The Times
- The EU is trying to make the UK shoulder obligations only EU Members should - The Spectator
- UK to set up academy for 50,000 customs form-fillers – The Belfast Telegraph
- US spy planes could be pulled from Britain as White House conducts major Huawei review – The Daily Telegraph
- Shadow Home Secretary refuses to say if Labour will support Freedom of Movement – Guido Fawkes
That’s all for this e-Bulletin. I hope you all have a very pleasant VE Day Bank Holiday tomorrow, as we give thanks and celebrate the sacrifice and victory of those who gave so much to protect our freedoms.
These are difficult times, but this weekend of all weekends, we must remember we have experienced worse as a country and we will get through this together.
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.
Please don’t forget, we really need your help with donations to make sure we secure the best Brexit for the United Kingdom. We of course, appreciate all the help many of you have already given to the campaign. However, we are in the final few months of pushing for Brexit to be delivered and now more than ever - with other campaigns closing up shop - every penny counts.
Without your support we cannot continue to run our campaign to keep up the pressure on the Government to listen to the Will of the Great British Public. The Remain campaigns are still going with their multi-millionaire donors and massive commercial backers. If we don’t have a voice to fight for Brexit, we will end up with the Remain agenda once again dominating and perhaps even trying to reverse the EU Referendum result, giving no voice for the millions who voted to Leave.
We understand these are hard times, but for the next 7 months, if you could spare any extra money to keep this campaign going and to make sure there is still a strong voice for Brexit which will speak up for you, then please donate whatever you can.
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 HERE.
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.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.
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.
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 the 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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