[ad_1]
The two sides are entering the final stages of negotiations as the UK works to finalize a free trade agreement before the transitional phase of Brexit comes to an end at the end of the year. David Frost, who represents Britain in the high-risk talks, urged his EU counterparts to “lower” their “unrealistic ambitions” and warned that “time is short.” Tensions have erupted over attempts by Brussels to limit the UK’s ability to set its own fishing policy, devise its own regulations and decide what help to give British companies.
Meanwhile, leading Brexit supporters have called on Britain to “rescind” the Withdrawal Agreement because it gives “Brussels and its agencies continued power over the UK for years to come.” They warn that if the deal sticks, the UK will face years of “legal wrangling” and nothing less than “a nightmare on Brexit street.”
However, Frost insisted that the government remains focused on trying to secure a Canadian-style free trade agreement.
He said: “As we enter the final stages of the negotiations, we are all focusing on what might be necessary to achieve a trade agreement. An agreement is still very possible, but equally far from being secure.
“The last two weeks of informal talks have been relatively positive, but much remains to be done and time is short. We have said from the beginning of this process that we simply want a standard free trade agreement like Canada’s.
David Frost said a deal was ‘far from secure’ but still possible (Image: Getty / PA)
“Unfortunately, the EU position has not been so straightforward and we are still being asked to accept provisions that do not reflect the reality of the change that our leaving the EU brings. If the gaps in these areas are to be filled, the EU still needs to reduce its unrealistic ambitions further and work towards more realistic political positions.
“I hope this is possible next week, and my team and I are ready to work as hard as it takes to move things forward.”
The Center for Brexit Policy (CBP) maintains that in order to safeguard “national independence”, this Withdrawal Agreement must be removed and replaced by a new treaty.
He warns: “We are now dealing with the dire consequences of joining a treaty that, if left unchanged, reduces the UK to the status of an EU colony.”
CBP fears that, unless the deal is abandoned, Britain will see the European Union Court of Justice “use its powers to uphold special rights for EU citizens living in the UK.” The think tank also foresees attempts to outlaw UK efforts to support the domestic industry.
He warns that walking away from the current talks is not enough to cut the cord with Brussels because the Withdrawal Agreement and the controversial Northern Ireland protocol “are already national and international laws” and will enter into force next year unless they are repealed.
The expert group warns that suggestions that the deal’s problems could be “cleaned up” after the end of the transition period are “deeply flawed.”
Labor MP Graham Stringer said: “There is a real and present danger that the UK will cut its ties with the EU at the end of the year with much fanfare, only to find that its negotiating strategy has been so weak that it is legally entwined with EU rules and regulations in the years to come. That will be our moment at the Hotel California, and it won’t be pretty. “
MP Andrew Bridgen urged the UK to get ‘a clear break from EU control’ (Image: Getty)
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen also lobbied for the termination of the Withdrawal Agreement, saying: “It is clear whether we come out of the transition period on December 31 with or without a free trade agreement with the EU, we need a clean break with its control.
“The Withdrawal Agreement has served its purpose of facilitating negotiations and should be repealed by our sovereign Parliament before we leave the transition period to avoid any further interference by the EU in sovereign UK affairs in the future.”
John Longworth, Director General of the Center for Brexit Policy, said: “This new CBP report is a wake-up call for ministers struggling to negotiate the final terms of the UK’s exit from the EU. Deeply rooted in Western Australia are the radical powers of the EU over much of our commercial and national life.
“The prospect of the European Court of Justice and the European Commission continuing to issue orders to the UK and the endless legal wrangling really means that we are facing a nightmare on Brexit street unless we free ourselves from its clutches at the last minute.” .
Saturday’s report also urged the government to “exploit the financial power of the City of London to pressure the EU to give ground in the talks.”
The European Commission could continue to issue orders to the UK after Brexit (Image: Getty)
It proposes that Britain could “impose sanctions on European financial institutions seeking to raise capital in London if Brussels does not comply with the UK’s demands.”
The CBI increased pressure on the government to agree to a deal with Brussels, stating that a survey of 648 companies showed that only four percent would prefer that no trade deal be reached. Half of those surveyed said dealing with Covid-19 has “negatively affected Brexit preparations.”
CEO Dame Carolyn Fairbairn said: “Now must be the time for political leadership and the spirit of compromise to shine through on both sides. A deal can and should be made. “
Former Conservative Brexit minister David Jones hopes that repeal of the Withdrawal Agreement can be avoided, but blamed the EU for the current difficulties.
The UK and the EU ‘must use good faith to reach a free trade agreement’ (Image: Getty)
He said: “The Withdrawal Agreement required both parties to negotiate in good faith using their best efforts to achieve a free trade agreement … But they have not, they have literally wasted months talking about their red lines …
“The Center for Brexit Policy is correct in saying that if we reach a point where there is no deal, it will be largely due to the failure of the European Union to meet its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. If that is the case, then clearly the UK should not be required to meet its obligations …
“And it looks like the UK will have to assess the situation when we get to that point and, if it deems it appropriate, it should say to the European Union: ‘Well, given your breach of the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement, don’t consider us subject to it. ‘”.
Veteran Brexiteer and Conservative MP Peter Bone expressed a note of optimism, saying: “My view is that we are likely to get a comprehensive free trade agreement as it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK. Therefore, these problems should largely disappear. “
[ad_2]
