January 31st 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters,
BREXIT Day has finally arrived. At 11pm tonight, January 31st 2020, we will Get Britain Out of the EU - at least in name. We still have to contend with the Transition Period, while we try and negotiate a free trade deal with the EU.
We will NOT be changing our campaign name as it is logistically very difficult – and until after the Transition Period, I do not think we will really be OUT of the EU! However, we will continue to campaign hard, as there is still a great deal of work to be done before December 31st 2020 - when and if we get a comprehensive free trade deal – or we LEAVE the EU on ‘No Deal’, World Trade Organisation terms if the EU still continues to try and shackle us into their failing Federalist project.
However, this day – January 31st 2020 – is still worthy of celebration because it is a day many of us believed would never happen. After fighting for years to get an EU Referendum in the first place, it’s now nearly 4 years since we voted to Leave. It seemed as if the Remain Establishment would forever cling to power, refusing to accept the majority Leave vote in the EU Referendum.
As a Eurosceptic movement we have been insulted, trodden into the dirt and treated as the noisy neighbours. We have earned our right to celebrate tonight and no easily-offended Remainers are going to stop us!
Let’s see if Prime Minister, Boris Johnson feels the same.
However, he is not going to make a ‘live’ Brexit address to the Nation. Apparently and disgracefully, he can’t be bothered. The PM recorded his ‘address to the Nation’ yesterday, and it will be released to the media – and the Nation – via his ‘Facebook’ page at 10 pm tonight. He will be having a party inside No 10. However, why can’t he put down his glass of apparently 'English' ‘sparkling wine’ to come outside into Downing Street to speak to the Nation LIVE - himself! After all, the majority of us went into the individual polling booths to vote him into No 10 as we trusted him. It’s about time he demonstrated his appreciation for the voters, rather than in a pre-recorded speech on such an important night.
Be in no doubt though as we have made clear throughout these last few weeks, we at Get Britain Out are going nowhere. There are still battles to be fought and Remainer plots to foil. This coming year the Transition Period will help to shape our future and could not be more important. Prime Minister Boris Johnson must now take an ambitious approach and take the fight to the EU. There can be no ‘Level Playing Field’; no participation in an EU Army; no subservience to the European Court of Justice; and no sacrificing control of our fishing waters. If Boris fails to deliver on any of these important issues, then Brexit will not be truly delivered. At the moment the signs are looking good – and we support the Prime Minister so far - but I hope the Government will take a hard-line stance with the EU to the benefit of our global future.
The PM, the Chancellor, Sajid Javid and Michael Gove, the Head of the Cabinet Office, have all ruled out ‘Political Alignment’ with the EU. They have all said they will refuse to make any deal which would exchange control of our fishing waters for a better trade deal. This week the French President, Emmanuel Macron, claimed he will not agree to any agreement on ‘Financial Services’ between the UK and EU if French fishermen don’t get 25 years of unfettered access to British waters. Quite rightly he has been laughed out the door.
On Monday, initial reports indicate Boris Johnson’s plans to announce his intention to pursue a ‘Canada-plus-Style Free Trade Agreement’ in negotiations with the EU. This deal would aim for no ‘Political Alignment’ and would mean checks on some goods coming into the UK from the EU. If true this would be a very welcome approach, which should allow negotiations to move forward quickly and efficiently. As long as the EU doesn’t try to be deliberately intransigent - a long shot we know - but we can dream.
The Government’s words have also been backed up with actions. ‘No Deal’ preparations have been restarted to ensure walking away from trade negotiations on December 31st 2020 is a credible option. The Government will also, as of February 1st 2020, close down the dysfunctional Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU). DExEU will be replaced by the new ‘Taskforce Europe’, a 40-person unit of specialists, who will be responsible for future negotiations with the EU and preparing the country for Brexit. ‘Taskforce Europe’ will report directly to the Prime Minister, apparently avoiding interference by faceless Civil Servants who have so often caused unnecessary delay. We’ll see!
In response to this highly eventful BREXIT DAY, the EU has released a STRANGE ‘Op-Ed’ – circulated widely to the international press – written by the 3 Presidents of the top EU institutions: Charles Michel (President of the European Council), David Sassoli (President of the European Parliament) and Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission). This is a very odd read. It appears to be more of a PR exercise for the EU rather than anything else, trying to blame the UK for any difficulties in the negotiations and setting out how the UK cannot expect to succeed without the EU.
Frankly, the attitude of the EU – as you can see, even today, Brexit Day’ - proves exactly why 17.4 million of the Great British Public voted to Leave the EU on June 23rd 2016 nearly 4 years ago. You can read the full article in the links below.
The EU insists they cannot start full negotiations until March - despite the tight schedule to finalise a deal by December 31st 2020 and Michel Barnier saying “they will work day and night to finalise Brexit”. Do they have 24-hour clocks over in Brussels?
Boris Johnson must use this time to strengthen his hand by building on the trading arrangements which the UK already has agreed with countries around the world. You can find an up-to-date full list of all of these deals HERE. The Government must look to the World and not just EU Member States.
REMEMBER, the fight for our global future is not over yet.
No doubt some Remainers will be trying to peddle their usual ‘Project Fear’ messages over the course of this year, especially if the Government continues to hold firm, refusing to allow the UK to be governed by EU laws after the Transition Period. If you want to find some easy replies and counters to the Remainer Myths and the Truth, then you can find them HERE.
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