Chequers is burying Theresa May. Only Canada can save her from further humiliation

So the Prime Minister would rather have a “no deal” scenario for our country than a “Canada-style” deal, claiming that it would break up the UK, whilst shooting off to New York to talk to President Trump about doing a US free trade deal.

This has become utterly absurd and embarrassing – ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ without the laughs. The Prime Minister is setting herself up for yet another Salzburg-type slap at our party conference, and conceivably from President Trump too. Number 10 has descended into bunker mode and has ceased to act or react rationally. Many of the advisers and ministers responsible are not doing the Prime Minister any favours, they are burying her, just for the sake of saving their own political skins. She does not deserve to be left so exposed.

The clear reality is that Chequers is dead. Only what I call a ‘SuperCanada’ deal will work – a deal based on Canada’s 99{6c073e6ddc991e32b987c2976a0494c1ef7e7c4976e02d56946b9937f4a8f0f4} access to the Single Market, with no free movement or access fees, but bigger, better and wider, drawing too on the Japan deal. Like Jacob Rees Mogg, who referred to SuperCanada this week, I don’t mind if you call it “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Canada – but please just use Canada!

For a start, as the trade lawyer and author of the IEA’s PlanA+ alternative report this week Shanker Singham made clear: Chequers effectively takes Britain’s ability to do proper international trade deals off the table. He went on to say the Americans he met there just last week are laughing at Chequers, and that it is even a legal requirement from Congress that goods are included in US free trade agreements – how can we do this when our hands are tied under EU goods regulatory slavery (the so-called ‘EU common rulebook’)? What is the point of discussing a US trade deal that is either half destroyed by Chequers or illegal under US federal law?

I know full well from nearly ten years of working on EU trade deals, including Canada, India, New Zealand, South Korea and Colombia/Peru, that international trading partners regard goods as the core of their free trade deals, and they will not give ground in other areas that we covet, such as services, without those goods basics being on the negotiating table. Chequers blows up half the benefits of every single trade deal we want to negotiate. Goods tariffs are still very real in the world and these unhelpful trade wars are adding to them, not subtracting from them.

Also, if Britain is applying to become a customs assessment and duty collection agent for the EU under this clumsy Facilitated Customs Arrangement (FCA) proposal in Chequers, the omens are not good. The EU is about to demand legally that the UK pays £3 billion in what it claims is incorrectly assessed customs duties by UK customs on Chinese goods. They think we are unable to handle customs duties now let alone when we become independent again.

Let’s be direct, the EU is not actually negotiating when Mr Juncker warned in his State of the Union speech “you cannot be in part of the Single Market” – it is setting out its core, inconvertible principles and beliefs, and they will not change during the negotiations. They will not accept Chequers. The misreading of the EU position by close advisers and diplomatic teams was gross negligence, and they are truly to blame for the terrible way Mrs May was treated.

What has happened since the Prime Minister so effectively achieved her red lines and Lancaster House aims on 7th March this year? After meeting her in Number 10, the EU’s President Tusk graciously accepted those red lines and offered us a great trade deal, the best the EU has ever offered, saying: “I propose that we aim for a trade agreement covering all sectors and with zero tariffs on goods (this is CETA+) Like other free trade agreements, it should address services (that takes it to CETA++, only one extra + short).”

The EU’s negotiator Mr Barnier reiterated this offer and went further as recently as 2nd August saying: “It is possible to respect EU principles and create a new and ambitious partnership… the EU has offered a Free Trade Agreement with zero tariffs and no quantitative restrictions for goods. It proposed close customs and regulatory cooperation and access to public procurements, to name but a few examples.” The EU wants a Canada style deal. It is after all very familiar to them.

So, we were home and dry. Our red lines met, the excellent guidelines laid down in Theresa May’s speeches such as at Lancaster House and Mansion House met. The Government White Paper reflected a Canadian style deal – certainly to Version 9, and the Brexit Department ministers were all content with the general direction.

But just a few months later, we get the disastrous Chequers proposal, leading directly to the resignation of David Davis and Boris Johnson and a succession of other ministers, an approval rating amongst Conservative voters of 17 per cent, turmoil in the party, a bounce from 2 per cent to 7 per cent in the polls for Ukip, and the prospect of a disastrous 1970s Communist tribute government under Mr Corbyn escalated immeasurably. How could this have gone so wrong so quickly?

The reality is that it is UK ‘business’ interests who have caused this chaos, the villains being the Remain Treasury, the Business department and the appallingly contemptuous enemies of democracy and the people, the CBI. They argued strongly for Remain in the Referendum and are doing everything possible now to undermine the result – regardless of the price for democracy. They have conspired with the EU to shamelessly exploit, exaggerate and twist the Irish border issue for their own selfish purposes, seeking to keep the UK entrapped within the Eurosphere of red tape and cosy corporate laws.

It is a giveaway when major corporate business concerns claim to be fighting like saints for trade worth less than £2 billion a year. But ironically now the EU is actively promoting a free trade agreement solution, as Brexiteers like myself are, it is business interests in the UK who threaten a no deal outcome through their own idiocy. They would rather hang on lazily to the business they have now with the EU than lift their eyes to a reality where 90 per cent of the growth in the world in the next 10 to 15 years will come from outside Europe – so says their friends at the IMF.

They and the Number 10 bunker are not interested in finding an actual solution for the Northern Ireland border. Indeed, a reported private briefing by an adviser suggested they weren’t interested in finding a solution. I have helped on four separate papers now on this issue, one of which was presented to the Brexit select committee, and the ERG paper “The Border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland post Brexit”, was written by one former Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, and supported by another Theresa Villiers, by our former Brexit negotiator David Davis, Lord Trimble, Sammy Wilson of the DUP and many others. How much support does the Chequers cabal want to see demonstrated?

Now even the EU are talking openly of such technological solutions and checks away from the border – Mr Barnier himself – whilst Mr Varadkar has revealed that the EU has told Ireland there is no need for a hard border, which the UK has made clear too. So, what exactly is the problem needing to be solved?

With a border free of any need for tariff and quota checks, with goods checked now in Ireland running at a mere 1 per cent, animal welfare checks in existence anyway, with successful borders in existence for excise duty, VAT, corporate taxes and currency, then a few more checks away from the border, the use of existing technology, and a bit of creativity will do the job. This is hardly the same challenge as the Irish peace process – which I had the privilege of being part of.

There is only a problem if you are determined not to find a solution.

You can read the article as it appeared at the telegraph.co.uk here

David Campbell Bannerman is a Conservative MEP, spokesman for the ECR group on international trade and author of the ‘SuperCanada’ trade deal proposal.

‘Theresa May furious at Tory peers for wrecking Global Britain with single-market vote on Brexit bill’

thesun.co.uk 10 May 2018

Brexiteers are doubly furious at the PM’s trade envoy, whose job is to forge global trade deals, as she voted against them.

THERESA May let rip at the House of Lords after pro-EU Peers voted to bind her hands at the EU negotiating table demanding Britain stays in the single market.

No10 said the Prime Minister was “strongly disappointed” after a string of 14 defeats on Brexit in the House of Lords.

Last night Mrs May came under fresh pressure to punish Lords who hold roles representing the government – but voted against her.

Furious Brexit Ministers and Tory whips were enraged after pro-EU Baroness McGregor Smith ignored warnings and voted with Labour to keep Britain a member of the European Economic Area after Brexit.

The move would wreck Britain’s ability to forge trade deals with other countries.

Brexiteers were doubly furious because the devout Remainer and businesswoman serves as the PM’s personal trade envoy, tasked with drumming up business with other countries.

Baroness McGregor Smith, the PM’s personal trade envoy, voted to keep us in the single market, wrecking the chance to forge global trade deals.

MEP David Campbell Bannerman said the peer must be stripped of the whip.

Senior MEP David Campbell Bannerman said the peer must be stripped of the whip. He blasted: “It is absolutely peculiar for her to vote for a customs union that would prevent us from doing trade deals – which is meant to be her job.

“She should lose the whip. We can’t have Conservative peers voting for such damaging positions – especially those that serve that government.”

Yesterday Mrs May’s official spokesman said: “We are strongly disappointed by the votes last night. The legislation is intended to deliver the smooth Brexit which is in the interests of everybody in the UK.

“We will not accept attempts to use this legislation to stop us taking back control of our money, our laws and our borders.”

 

 

David Campbell Bannerman Helps Launch ‘Conservatives for Britain’ Group

Conservative party logo with Union Flag

Interviewed in the Telegraph, Co-Chair of the ‘Conservatives for Britain’ Group David Campbell Bannerman MEP said that ‘If the EU is not willing to return significiant powers to our shores,  then Britain should leave. ‘  The MEP went on to say of the Group that ‘We will set out what we believe needs to be achieved in the Renegotiation process if Britain is to remain a member of the EU.  Restricting freedom of movement of EU citizens and making the UK Parliament sovereign over EU law are likely to feature heavily in our agenda.’ Read the full story in The Telegraph here.

 

David Campbell Bannerman was also interviewed on the R5L show Pienaar’s Politics’:

 

The launch was also covered by BBC Radio Four News:

 

David Campbell Bannerman MEP was also interviewed by ConservativeHome on the launch of the new Group.  You can read the interview here.

France24: Talking Europe. Dealing with returning jihadists: Is de-radicalisation possible?

A show from Brussels with David Campbell Bannerman MEP facing off on this burning issue with Christel SCHALDEMOSE, Danish MEP, Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

In Denmark, unlike other EU member states like France and the UK, returning jihadists are not treated as criminals but as citizens who need to be rehabilitated into the community. Dubbed “Jihad rehab”, Denmark’s de-radicalisation scheme was launched nationwide last autumn. But critics say the recent Copenhagen shootings show the programme is a setback and call for a more punitive approach to returning fighters.

http://www.france24.com/en/20150228-counter-terrorism-islamism-jihad-deradicalisation-european-union-denmark/

The ECR EU Conference 2015

 

Britain out of Europe banner

The ‘Alternatives to EU Membership’  Conference on Wednesday 18th February was hailed a great success with such leading speakers as Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP,  Sir Bill Cash MP,  John Mills, Matthew Elliott and of course the organiser David Campbell Bannerman MEP who spoke on EEA Lite.

You can view all the speeches from the conference by clicking this link here.

ECR EU Conference

Over 110 delegates attended the ECR EU Conference held at Europe House, London, hosted by David Campbell Bannerman MEP

To find out more information about David’s book ‘Time to Jump’ or to order a copy, you can visit the Time to Jump website here.

David Campbell Bannerman has also published ‘The Ultimate Plan B: A Positive Vision of an independent Britain outside the European Union’ booklet. You can request a copy or download a pdf. More information can be found here.

Delegates’ Response:

This is what Delegates said of the Conference:
“Thank you for hosting an excellent conference which helped me complete my journey towards euroscepticism!”
Jonathan Roberts, UK Chamber of Shipping

“Thank you very much for organising yesterday’s conference – it was truly superb!”
Rory Broomfield, The Freedom Association

“We go to so many debates and discussions about the EU and I have certainly been to my fair share over many years but this was the best by far!”
Lindsay Jenkins, author

EU Conference link to videos

David Campbell Bannerman MEP Appears on Share Radio’s Simon Rose Evening Show

ShareRadio logoDavid Campbell Bannerman MEP appeared on new digital radio station – Share Radio – to talk about the failures and cost of the EU.  The MEP was also given the opportunity to discuss his plan for Britain to have an EEA Lite relationship with the EU once the country had left the European superstate.

Share Radio is a new independent radio station which is based in Westminster and broadcasts to Greater London on digital radio and to the rest of the country via its website. The station focuses on money and investment matters in the UK. The website can be found here – http://www.shareradio.co.uk/

David Campbell Bannerman MEP Mission Statement

As a Conservative MEP I am:

A true Eurosceptic – with strong principles and the conviction to seek UK withdrawal from the EU

A hard working MEP who has defended our interests courageously in Europe

Devoted to serving the whole of the East of England equally and without favouritism.