The return to Westminster and Brexit.
Parliamentary Report – WTO Deal not “No Deal”
This week we see MP’S returning to Westminster with the meaningful vote fast approaching and Mrs May’s plans still in tatters with many MP’s saying they still have not changed their mind and will vote down her planned withdrawal agreement. The DUP who have a confidence and supply agreement with Mrs May’s minority Government have said that they cannot support her deal.
The only sane way forward now, I believe is to leave on the 29th March on WTO rules. MP’s who supported Remain and many others on the Project Fear side keep calling this option “ a no deal “ option. This is one of the greatest deceptions and play on words presented to the electorate.
The correct terminology everyone should be using is a WTO deal ( World Trade Organisation Deal ). This option gives us the best way forward to then negotiate a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU. By taking this option we can also negotiate other bi-lateral trade deals all over the globe. Last week I had a conversation with Peter Woods, CEO and owner of UK Glass Eels based in Gloucestershire and he asked me where I thought Brexit is headed. I said that I believe it will go to a WTO deal and he agreed with me and said this would be very good for his business as it would open up business worldwide for him. The electorate must know that anything else is not leaving and would keep us tied in one form or another to the EU. The Lisbon Treaty has many parts and many of them come into force over the next few years including the loss of all veto rights, all member states have to move to the Euro and all member states must be in the schengen area of free movement. There are many others, too many to list here.
So when the withdrawal agreement is voted down next Tuesday we may see the following happen.
As the deadline approaches the following scenario may be closer than we think.
“ If there is no political agreement on 21st January , 2019 regarding the withdrawal agreement and the framework of the future relationship then a Minister of the Crown must make a written statement within five days as per the European withdrawal Act 2018 s. 13(11). This means that a written statement as to the Governments intentions must be made by Saturday 26th January at the very latest. The motion must then be moved within a further five sitting days , meaning Parliament would be asked to debate the Government’s intended course of action no later than Monday 4th of February.” *
Source : House of Commons Briefing Paper 08424
I have always asked people not to use the term no deal as this really misleads the electorate and I ask all to please start using WTO Deal from now on. The next weeks are going to be so important and all people who believe in a true Brexit must keep shouting over the message. Over the coming weeks I will do my best to keep you up to date with events from Westminster.
The misconception of Foreign Aid. Part 1
Each year the UK sends £14 billion to countries around the world all under the heading of foreign aid. Only 16% of this money is spent on crisis and humanitarian aid and this proportion should be called foreign crisis aid. The rest of these billions is spent on development aid and very rarely gets to those who really need help.
Next time I will explore this subject in detail.