Further, Faster – or Farage

The EU-UK agreement is a modest but welcome step forward. It begins to repair some of the damage inflicted by the Conservatives’ reckless and ideologically driven Brexit. The Government should recognise it has a duty not only to act in the national interest, but to stand up against the rise of the far-right, not ape them, as they seem to be doing now. 

The Government has claimed the deal will add £9 billion to the UK economy—just 0.2% of GDP by 2040. With more ambition, the economic benefits could have been up to ten times greater, even within the Government’s own red lines. 

A bespoke UK-EU Customs Union would be the single most effective way to boost growth, repair public finances, and restore trust. My Liberal Democrat Parliamentary colleagues and I will continue to push the Government to break away from the divisions of the past and to use today’s agreement as a foundation for a deeper, more strategic partnership with our European neighbours. 

On fisheries, the 12-year continuation of the current arrangement, which allows EU trawlers access to British waters at 75% of pre-Brexit quotas, reflects a disappointing lack of progress. If the Government had pursued a more strategic and forward-looking approach, including a bespoke Customs Union, broader benefits could have been secured across the board. The Government must now work closely with our fishing communities to understand the impact of this extension and, at the very least, secure better terms for British fishermen exporting to the continent, who still face crippling barriers.