June 19th, 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters
For the past 2 weeks we have seen some movement towards the end of the Brexit negotiations and a Free Trade Agreement. It now appears the European Union has finally understood the fact the United Kingdom will not extend the Transition Period. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has confirmed - many times – we will not extend the Transition Period, in spite of the EU almost begging us to do so, but this finally became official when Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, formally informed the UK-EU Joint Committee and his opposite number, European Commission Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, that the UK would not be seeking any extension. Under the Withdrawal Agreement which the EU is so fond of – the final date for the decision is actually in just under 2 weeks’ time on July 1st, but Gove’s action seem to have put a final lid on it!
However, be in no doubt Remain campaigners and MPs have not given up, and the EU would be very happy to rip up the rule book to offer the UK an extension in order to pull in more money to fund their gigantic €1 trillion 7-year budget. Just this week, Liberal Democrat Leadership contender (and unfortunately my own MP) Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has put forward a Bill trying to demand the Government change the law to allow Ministers to request an extension.
This week has also seen the Prime Minister finally return to the forefront of Brexit negotiations. Boris Johnson took part in a much hyped ‘High-level Conference’ via video link with the 3 Leaders of the EU, including European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. In the end the conference only lasted just over half an hour and was hardly ground-breaking in its outcomes.
There was some progress, however, with von der Leyen saying in an interview afterwards about the dispute over fishing rights around the UK: “No one questions the UK sovereignty over its own waters”. This is certainly a start, but the EU’s demands in the negotiations on fishing need to reflect these words. Empty rhetoric is meaningless.
The Leaders also agreed a new intensive schedule for the next and hopefully final stages of the trade negotiations, under which there will be discussions every week for 4 weeks starting on Monday June 29th. The PM has gone as far as saying he hopes the trade deal can be completed by the end of July - a very ambitious timeline when the EU is still holding firm on its positions and refusing to compromise. However, in reality there is no reason why this shouldn’t be possible if they all put their minds to it.
Before we go any further – and again, this request is very important:
Get Britain Out is very, very appreciative for the donations we have received so far and especially after our last few e-Bulletins. As you may be aware, I am trying to continue the campaign until the end of the Transition Period on December 31st, 2020. Remain campaigns and their billionaire backers are now increasing their push to change the law to get another extension to the Transition Period (see one of the paragraphs above). This fight won’t be over until we are fully out of the EU
Most of the other Brexit campaigns have already shut up shop. So my small team and I are working harder than ever to make sure a true Brexit is still on the agenda and the voices of Brexiteers continue to be heard. Get Britain Out has always been a ‘free to use’ campaign, but now we really need regular financial assistance to help to deliver a true Brexit in these final months until the end of the year. To those of you who have already contributed, I cannot tell you how much it is appreciated, and helps to keep the campaign going on a week by week basis.
These are tough times, I know, but can I ask you to dig deep into your pockets again please – perhaps with a regular donation for these final 6 months – so we can continue to run Get Britain Out until the end of this year (and yes, I really do understand not all of you cannot afford to do so – especially in these difficult times with COVID-19). This is really important for our Global Future. Thank you.
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After the ‘High-level Conference’ this week, Boris Johnson also played host to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who came here to award the entire City of London the Légion d'Honneur for the help it gave France during the peak of the Second World War. This was slightly ironic, as this medal was created by Napoléon Bonaparte, a French statesman and military leader who became famous as an artillery commander during the French Revolution. This was a man who would no doubt be turning in his grave over this honour being awarded to the British – his biggest foe.
Macron and the Prime Minister also reportedly had discussions on Brexit while he was in Downing Street. No doubt Macron was trying to claim some sort of victory or concessions from the Prime Minster before the EU Council Summit of Member State Leaders taking place today (June 19th). The Summit has recently concluded as we send this out and it appears there has been no major movement on the Free Trade Agreement and final issues on Brexit - only talks on the massive new EU Budget. However, make sure to follow our social media over the weekend from the links below in case there any more news emerges.
Goodness knows – the French President needs all the help he can get to try and bump up his domestic opinion poll ratings as the French election cycle approaches. The two Leaders also discussed illegal migrant Channel crossings - so perhaps Macron can finally get a grip of his coastguards to stop migrant boats before they get to UK waters, instead of French vessels merely guiding them onto our shores!
Speaking of boosts, Global Britain has received more good news, with the Department for International Trade beginning trade talks with both Australia and New Zealand this week. These came in parallel with another round of talks between the UK and the USA. You can see just how influential the USA can be in our lives by looking at this State-by-State breakdown of UK-US trade which we at Get Britain Out have put together: https://getbritainout.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/UK-USA-Trade-State-by-state.pdf.
All of this trade happened on World Trade Organization terms.
The EU has spent years trying to get a trade deal with the USA, yet it appears the UK is already on the path to a deal, with Boris Johnson and President Trump pushing for a deal to be agreed prior to the US Presidential Elections in November. Should Trump lose - and a trade deal not be finalised before then - his opponent, Joe Biden has been far more negative about getting a quick deal with the UK. So, let’s hope we can push forward talks at a fast pace.
The Department for International Trade has also confirmed the UK intends to apply to be part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which is the world’s 3rd largest trade bloc. Other members include Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico. The difference between the CPTPP and the EU being the CPTPP has no political bodies, nor does it have ambitions to create them. Joining such a body would make trade discussions with Japan and Australia - which have already begun – much simpler.
Elsewhere in Whitehall, the Government has finally taken action to cut down on bureaucracy and reform the Civil Service. To do this they have merged the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development (which is responsible for foreign aid). This should now mean our Foreign policy has another tool at its disposal when promoting UK interests abroad, instead of wasting money on frivolous ‘feel-good’ projects which fund corrupt officials and rich countries which already have plenty of money spend on projects such as space programmes. Get Britain Out actually pressured the Government to make this reform back in February - so it is great to see we were listened to and action is now being taken.
However, it’s not all good news. In the last 2 weeks, for some inexplicable reason, the Government has announced they intend to give a 6-month tariff leeway period to EU businesses exporting to the UK. They say this is to make logistics easier - something which might be a good idea if the EU was reciprocating the easing. However, this is not the case, meaning we are effectively giving a complete advantage to EU businesses over those in our own country! Shouldn’t we be applying these breaks to all businesses exporting to the UK - after all we want to encourage more trade with countries outside of the EU? Why is the Government continuing to show favouritism to the EU? It’s not like EU businesses have not had a chance to prepare for a change in the trading relationship between the UK and the EU - after all, we voted to Leave nearly 4 years ago.
Oh, I remember. The European Union and EU Businesses are still waiting for us to say: “Sorry we didn’t mean it. Please please can we have some more of your rules and regulations. Please can we stay in the EU?” Fat chance of that!
The EU’s frequent backsliding is exactly why we must keep up the pressure on the Government to make sure they don’t end up finding loopholes to try and extend the Transition Period in all but name or give away our reclaimed sovereignty.
To voice these frustrations, today I have written to Michael Gove – the Minister responsible for these plans. You can read this letter in the links below.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO:
IMPORTANT STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
- Toyota Choose Britain As New Hybrid Car Export Hub – Guido Fawkes
- Liz Truss kicks off round 2 of the US trade talks – Politico
- Nigel Farage to Relaunch Brexit Party claiming Boris 'losing control' of exit – The Sunday Express
- UK Government will not be seeking an extension to the EU-exit Transition Period – Gov.uk
- EU says 'sovereign' UK has taken back control of its fishing waters – The Daily Telegraph
- Brexit saves UK from being baked in EU’s new €1.1 trillion Eurocake – Facts4EU
- Germany's EU nightmare as contributions soar 42 percent without UK – The Daily Express
- Unilever ends joint Anglo-Dutch structure to set up a single London base in U-turn on scrapped Holland HQ debacle – The Evening Standard
- Government accelerates border planning for the end of the Transition Period – Gov.uk
- EU proposes weekly Brexit talks, ready to make ‘compromises’ – Politico
- Remainer Groups Wasted £100,000s On the Election – Guido Fawkes
We would also like to wish Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, a very happy 56th birthday today. I certainly hope he can squeeze in some relaxation with his family in these trying times.
That’s all for this e-Bulletin. I hope you all have a very good weekend– and continue to keep yourselves safe as we all work towards ending the lockdown and getting our lives back to normal.
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.
Finally, I hope you don’t forget, we really need your help with donations for the next 6 months as I have explained above, 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 a good Brexit to be delivered and now, more than ever – with other campaigns closing up shop – and donations becoming scarcer – every penny counts if we are to continue our work.
Without your support we cannot run our campaign to keep up the pressure on the Government to listen to the will of the Great British Public. Remain MPs in Parliament and the Remain campaigns funded by billionaire donors and massive commercial backers mean if we don’t have a voice to fight for Brexit, Remainers could once again dominate the airwaves - or even try 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 6 months, if you can spare any extra money on a regular basis to keep this campaign going and to make sure there is still a strong voice for Brexit, 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.
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 (or write it on the back of your cheque).
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 still want more information.
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 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 for your help and support. GET BRITAIN OUT will continue to fight to try and make sure we get the best result from our Leaving the EU, as well as a Free Trade Deal with our close neighbours in the EU if possible. We can still Leave with No Deal on WTO terms – as well as being free to trade with countries around the world as we currently do with most other countries in the world – for our UNITED KINGDOM’S GLOBAL FUTURE.
Best wishes, as always, Jayne
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