BORIS Johnson today told the EU to give up trying to control Britain and warned: “We’ve made our choice”.
Alexander Brown
3 Feb 2020, 10:20
Updated: 5 Feb 2020, 20:26
3 Feb 2020, 10:20
Updated: 5 Feb 2020, 20:26
The Prime Minister goaded Brussels by vowing to surpass them and make the UK “global champions”.
In a major speech, Mr Johnson vowed the UK would follow no more rules from the EU, and dismissed a series of their outrageous demands.
It comes as the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier unveiled the requests in the bloc's latest negotiating guidelines.
Speaking in Greenwich, Mr Johnson said: "We are re-emerging after decades of hibernation.
“We are embarked now on a great voyage a project that no one thought in the international community that this country would have the guts to undertake.
“We have ended a debate that has run for three and a half years – some would say 47 years.
"We have the opportunity, we have the newly recaptured powers, we know where we want to go, and that is out into the world.”
In a barnstorming speech;
- The PM refused to mention the word "Brexit", referring to it as the "b word" as he insisted it was "over".
- Praised free trade for raising billions out of poverty.
- Vowed not to give up control of Britain's waters.
- Ruled out following the European Court of Justice rulings on trade.
- Called for the United states to cut tariffs on Scotch Whisky.
- Vowed to surpass the EU across the board.
- Promised Britain would maintain the "highest standards" in areas including subsidies, social protection, and the environment.
Mr Johnson also vowed to make Britain the "Superman" of trade, and make a glorious future outside the EU.
He said: "Humanity needs some government somewhere that is willing to make the case powerfully for freedom of exchange.
"Some country ready to take off its Clark Kent spectacles and leap into the phone booth and emerge with his cloak flowing as the supercharged champion of the right of populations of the earth to buy and sell freely among each other.”
The PM also made it clear Britain was no longer going to follow their rules, and would happily collapse trade talks if the EU didn’t play ball.
Mr Johnson said: "We want a free trade agreement, similar to Canada's but, in the very unlikely event that we do not succeed, then our trade will have to be based on our existing Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.
"The choice is emphatically not 'deal or no deal'.
“The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada's - or more like Australia's. In either case, I have no doubt that Britain will prosper."
The PM also backed Brits to have a golden future going above and beyond what was possible withing the bloc.
He said: "It’s not just that we want to go further than the EU.
"There are ways in which we are already further ahead."
The EU had earlier made it clear they wanted access to Britain’s waters, as well as for Gibraltar be excluded from any trade deal.
Today Mr Johnson dismissed the outrageous demands out of hand.
He said: "I can definitely confirm to you and the people of Gibraltar that the UK will be negotiating on behalf of the entire UK family and that definitely includes Gibraltar.
“The UK will be an independent coastal state at the end of this year 2020, controlling our own waters.”
It came on the same day the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab claimed Britain was about to become greater than ever.
He said: "We sent a strong message to the EU and the world about our ambition and our resolve.
"As one United kingdom we are now free to determine our own future as masters of our own destiny."
Boris Johnson's red lines
THE areas where the Prime Minister will refuse to cave to Brussels
- Not allowing the European Court of Justice a say on trade - Dominic Raab has said keeping EU regulations would "defeat the point of Brexit". The PM is expected to rule out any alignment or following the jurisdiction of the European courts.
- Alignment with key EU rules - Mr Johnson says he will not accept EU demands such as following Brussels rules on state aid.
- Access to UK fishing waters - The PM will reject a deal that gives foreign trawlers 25 years of access, instead demanding European nations apply annually with quotos negotiated each year.
- Transition period - Mr Johnson has vowed to deliver a bumper trade deal by the end of the year, and repeatedly ruled out extending the transition period.
Speaking today, Mr Barnier demanded a “level-playing field”, but also access to Britain's fishing waters.
He said: “Our free-trade agreement must include an agreement on fisheries.
“This agreement should provide reciprocal access to markets and waters, which contains quota shares.”
The Eurocrat also insisted Britain would have to continue following the rules of the European Court of Justice on matters arising from EU law.
He also offered a "best in class" trade deal, including zero tariffs and zero quotas on goods.
Mr Barnier added: "We are ready to offer all this, even though we know there will be strong competition between the UK, our immediate neighbour, and the EU in the future".
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