Brexit: It's Only Just Begun

Barry and Margaret Williamson
January 2021

(At the Beginning of the New Era)

Since it is absurd to compare the new EU/UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the bluff of 'No Deal', we copy below the EU's own summary of what we have lost by abandoning the excellent deal we have had since 1st January 1973. If you were exchanging your house, your car, your job or your partner seeking improvements, you would compare the new arrangement with the existing one. It would be crazy to compare it with having none at all, thereby becoming homeless, car-less, unemployed or single. But then there are a lot of crazy people around these days.

1973 was a year of miners' strikes, power cuts, 3-day weeks and oil shortages. It was also the year we joined the EC, the forerunner of the EU, which led the UK to now being the World's fifth largest economy. What more do we want? We had moved from days of Empire (ie occupying and exploiting other people's countries), to becoming a major and respected influence among what became 27 of our nearest neighbours. They admire our history, science, music, literature and above all they use our language freely among themselves and as the key to their world travel. One of Europe's greatest post-war achievements was the single market, something strongly supported by Margaret Thatcher. Her Lancaster House speech of 18th April 1988 included: “Bigger than Japan. Bigger than the United States. On your doorstep. And with the Channel Tunnel to give you direct access to it. It's not a dream. It's not a vision. It's not some bureaucrat's plan. It's for real.”

What do we get in return for all that we have lost? The nebulous concept of 'Sovereignty'! What is it? The ruling parliamentary party has an overwhelming majority of 87 (56.2% of the seats) from 43.6% of the votes cast in the 2019 election. Parliament is rarely consulted and it was given just a few hours to vote through all its stages the 1,200 page UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement with 27 other European countries. On the same day, the unelected House of Lords also voted on the bill and our one true Sovereign signed it into law from the shelter of one of the 24 homes owned by her family. This is Sovereignty? Taking back control? In practice no more than six people left over from the Vote Leave campaign have gathered around Boris Johnson to actually take control. With a thousand COVID-19 dead on the day of the vote, perhaps they should learn how to use it.

As with COVID-19, problems will arise both with the plethora of new post-Brexit regulations and with confusion over what they really are. How can every concerned official throughout 30 countries (UK+EU+2) know the details of the new agreements? How can every border guard, customs official, police officer, post-office worker, hotelier, campsite receptionist, etc, know to treat the British as foreigners? Confusion will replace respect along with embarrassment at our new much lowered status.

As staunch 'remainers', we have often been accused of being 'losers' and told to 'get over it'. Here is the European Commission's summary of what we have all really lost, and it will be a long time before anyone in the United Kingdom is able to get over it.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-new-relationship-big-changes-overview-consequences-and-benefits_en

Trade in Goods

‣‣UK goods no longer benefit from free movement of goods, leading to more red tape for businesses and adjustments in EU-UK supply chains
‣‣Customs formalities and checks on UK goods entering the EU, with more border delays
‣‣VAT and, where applicable, excise duties (e.g. on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, etc.) due upon importation (including for online purchases)
‣‣UK producers wishing to cater to both EU and UK markets must meet both sets of standards and regulations and fulfil all applicable compliance checks by EU bodies (no equivalence of conformity assessment)
‣‣UK food exports must have valid health certificates, and (phyto-)sanitary border checks will be carried out systematically

Trade in Services, Digital & Procurement

‣‣UK service suppliers no longer benefit from the 'country-of-origin' approach or 'passporting' concept (e.g. for financial services), which enable automatic access to the entire EU Single Market
‣‣No more automatic recognition of professional qualifications: Doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, vets, engineers or architects must have their qualifications recognised in each Member State they wish to practice in
‣‣UK operators no longer free to supply audiovisual services in the EU with UK licence

Energy & Climate

‣‣UK no longer participates in seamless EU internal energy market that ensures more efficient, cheaper, more secure supplies of electricity, gas and oil
‣‣UK is no longer part of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and its effort-sharing mechanism
‣‣UK is no longer member of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and cannot trade nuclear material and technology with Euratom

Mobility

‣‣No more free movement of people: UK nationals no longer have freedom to work, study, start a business or live in the EU
‣‣UK visitors to the EU need a valid passport; visas are required for stays over 90 days in a 180-day period; additional border checks; EU pet passports no longer valid

Aviation

‣‣UK air carriers no longer participate in fully liberalised EU aviation market: they can no longer operate passenger and/or cargo flights between EU destinations based on UK-issued licence and they can no longer operate passenger flights onwards to or from the EU (e.g. London- Amsterdam-Bangkok)

‣‣UK no longer participates in or contributes to shaping standards in EU Aviation Safety Agency

Road Transport

‣‣UK no longer participates in EU Single Market for transport services
‣‣UK operators lose right to conduct unlimited cross-trade in the EU and up to three cabotage operations within the territory of a Single Member State

Fisheries

‣‣UK becomes an independent coastal State and is free to decide on access to its waters and fishing grounds, in respect of its international obligations
‣‣UK leaves the Common Fisheries Policy – the EU's joint legal framework ensuring equal access to waters, stable quota-sharing arrangements and the sustainable management of marine resources
‣‣UK fishery products face customs & SPS checks upon EU entry

Security & Thematic Co-operation

‣‣UK no longer participates in or shapes rules of EU agencies for police and judicial cooperation (Europol, Eurojust) and no longer benefits from privileged cooperation amongst police and judicial authorities
‣‣UK no longer has access to sensitive EU databases and networks that support the EU's area of freedom, security and justice, such as SIS II

Union Programmes

‣‣UK no longer benefits from EU funding programmes. For example:

• The NextGenerationEU scheme aimed at speeding up the EU's collective recovery from Covid pandemic;
• Regional development and cohesion funding;
• Agricultural & rural development support;
• And many others.

‣‣UK is excluded from sensitive, high-security projects or contracts