Whose side are you on is one of my favourite questions and it is always useful when thinking about the ongoing Brexit debate. Technically, we left the European Union at the beginning of the year but the trade negotiations are ongoing and should be concluded by the end of this year.
We should all want the best deal for Lancashire, England and the United Kingdom and we should all be backing our negotiators to deliver it or accept that we will have to have a looser arrangement similar to that between Australia and the EU. Why is it that the EU has not got around to negotiating a deal with Australia, India, China or the USA?
Arguably, the EU has never been about looking out to the world – rather, it is an inward-looking trading block whose single market serves as a trade barrier to partners across the globe. Surely, this is yesterday’s debate and we have moved on from it? Unfortunately not, but we are drawing to the end of the Brexit project.
Even though the French demand full access to British territorial waters, the key part of the negotiations are still raging behind the scenes. The EU’s ‘level playing field’ demands may sound reasonable to any objective observer but it is really just a way to stitch us up. Basically, this is a way that the EU think they can set the rules for Britain even once we have left.
There is a reason why the biggest global sports are of British design and follow British rules. We know how to create fair systems and rules and it can be seen in football, cricket and rugby. I cannot think of a popular sport that follows German rules.
Funnily enough, the EU, led by Germany, set the rules governing vacuum cleaners which favoured their brands rather than the British Dyson. We know how the French set the agriculture rules that favour their farmers and system of agriculture over ours. Letting them have the final say on our rules, post-Brexit, just wouldn’t be cricket.
Bizarrely, when the British negotiators are in the thick of it and championing our interests, so many of our politicians and other influential people are trying to skew the pitch and give the EU an unfair advantage. They demand any old deal just so that we remain following the EU rules and regulations which makes rejoining so much easier in a few years time.
Whilst the Brexit negotiators do their thing in Europe, our International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, is leading our trade negotiations around the world. She has already secured deals with 55 countries and shows what can be achieved when we are proud of Britain, play by the rules and get our friends to join in.
Lets get a good result, put Brexit behind us and work towards a better
