The state of play on Brexit

Last night, MPs backed the new proposed deal with the EU which could have guaranteed we get Brexit done on 31 October. 

But once again, Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems voted for more dither and pointless delay.

The Prime Minister has done what many said he could not; we have renegotiated a great new deal which allows us to leave the EU without disruption and has now won the support of the House of Commons.

Because the opposition failed to back our timetable to get Brexit done on 31 October, Britain now faces further uncertainty and the EU must now make up their minds over how to answer Parliament’s request for a delay – our policy remains we should not delay, and we should leave the EU on 31 October.

As a result the government is taking the only responsible course of action and accelerating our preparations for a no deal outcome. Only by getting Brexit done can we address the issues that matter to people and get on with delivering the country the brighter future it deserves.

Put simply, the new proposed Withdrawal Agreement and political declaration mean:
  • Britain is out of all EU laws. We will be able to change our laws in a huge number of areas – from product standards to fishing rules to farming subsidies – where we are currently bound by EU rules.
  • We will be able to strike our own free trade deals. We will have an unqualified right to strike our own trade deals around the world, and the whole UK will participate in them. 
  • European Court direct jurisdiction ends in Great Britain. It will be our courts, applying our laws, which will be the highest authority in the land. 
  • We will be in control of our taxes. We will be able to change VAT rules and other tax laws that are currently determined by Brussels. 
  • Northern Ireland will be in the UK customs territory. There is now no doubt that Northern Ireland remains part of the UK’s customs territory and will benefit from the free trade deals we strike. 
  • The anti-democratic backstop has been abolished. The people of Northern Ireland will be in charge of the laws that they live by, and – unlike the backstop – will have the right to end the special arrangement if they so choose. 
  • The NHS is not for sale, never has been, and never will be. Any suggestion otherwise is simply untrue and just a blatant political manoeuvre by Labour to distract from their lack of a clear policy.

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