Time for the real Brexit, not corporate nonsense Brexit
21 December 2020
If we are to get the Brexit we voted for and deserve, the Government must turn its back on the lobbyists andGet Britain Out of the European Union without the continual whispering in ears of big corporate businesses
We have known for years how the European Union’s legislative processes have been dominated and influenced by big business and lobby groups, but in recent years their focus has been snapping at the heels of the United Kingdom’s Government regarding the Brexit negotiations.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has been a monumental manipulator of Brexit since the beginning. This is a massive Europhile organisation which publishes skewed and bias reports which have attempted to tarnish Brexit at every turn.
The worst part of the CBI is its shrouded nature. It reveals no details of its enormous membership – no details about where their member companies are registered, of funding or who’s pulling the strings. These businesses have huge influence over Westminster. The CBI is very well networked within the halls of Parliament and offers their European-based CEOs and huge multinationals a direct line to politicians.
It is becoming more and more apparent these final stages of the Brexit talks have become ambushed by the likes of the CBI. The Government’s threats to walk away from the trade talks with the EU have become so diluted they lack any real substance and any time there is a mention of 'No Deal’, their Project Fear statements come crawling out of the woodwork.
It is always important to remember – it is the largest businesses in the UK who have the most to gain by maintaining the status quo with the EU, but only 8% of all UK businesses actually trade with the EU - the majority of these are the big companies who dominate advisory groups like the CBI.
However, self-interested Europhile companies are not only limited to the CBI - even within Government the path of this country after Brexit is being dominated by those who have vested interests in the current system. For example, the Trade and Agriculture Commission is but one of the new Trade Advisory Groups (TAGs) which have been convened to help set out the path for future trade negotiations with countries other than the EU while. While many of these TAGs have a balance of those who either backed Leave or Remain, as well as numerous independent innovators, the Trade and Agriculture Commission is littered with Remain organisations such as the National Farmers Union, who have spent the last few years actively campaigning against Brexit and urging the Government to limit the scope of competition to UK farmers coming from new trade deals.
In other words, they are attempting to protect their monopoly-like market and prevent access to cheaper products for British consumers.
Why are we letting these groups manipulate the course of Brexit and the years beyond? It’s like putting cows in charge of a slaughterhouse! These groups have spent years trying to subvert democracy and the Will of the Great British Public and they must be called out.
Brexit is about bringing power back the people, but at the moment it is being usurped by the lobbyists, trying to mould Brexit for their own gain. If we are to get the Brexit we voted for and deserve, the Government must turn its back on the lobbyists andGet Britain Out of the European Union without the continual whispering in ears of big corporate businesses.
Jayne Adye is the Director of the leading grassroots, cross-Party, Eurosceptic campaign, Get Britain Out
Special arrangements were already secured for Northern Ireland before the UK-EU trade deal was agreed (Image: Getty)
From Friday, New Year's Day 2021, people in Northern Ireland will begin to see changes to everyday life as a result of Brexit.
The UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in June 2016, but the practical out-workings of that decision are only just beginning.
While Brexit technically happened 11 months ago, the UK has been in a standstill transition period during which negotiations were held on a future trading relationship.
This post-Brexit trade deal was finally agreed on Christmas Eve, running to more than 1,200 pages.
While the deal still has to be voted for in the House of Commons, it is expected to comfortably pass due to the Conservative Party's majority and support from Labour.
Special arrangements were already secured for Northern Ireland as a result of 2019's Withdrawal Agreement which formally removed the UK from the European trading bloc.
It included the Northern Ireland Protocol, aimed at preventing a hard land border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
The arrangement involves keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and applying EU customs rules at its ports - meaning additional checks for goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
Here is a rundown of the changes people in Northern Ireland can expect from January 1.
What will happen to my regular grocery shop?
Stock image(Image: Getty Images)
The trade deal means no extra charges (tariffs) on goods or limits on the amount that can be traded (quotas) between the UK and EU.
Supermarkets will be given a "grace period" of several months to avoid any disruption to food supplies transported from Britain to Northern Ireland after January 1.
Tesco chairman John Allan has said any changes to food prices after Brexit will likely be "very modest indeed" and any differences to "intra-Ireland" trade will be "marginal".
Is travel to the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and mainland Europe affected?
Citizens of the UK and Ireland can still move freely to live, work and study within the two jurisdictions due to their longstanding Common Travel Area arrangement predating EU membership.
People in Northern Ireland can also use their rights under the Good Friday Agreement to retain freedom of movement in the EU, as the Agreement allows people from Northern Ireland to be British, Irish or both.
Irish passport holders in Northern Ireland can continue to move and reside freely within the EU.
But British passport holders in Northern Ireland lose free movement entitlements to mainland EU. They are being advised to ensure their passports have at least six months' validity and were issued less than 10 years ago, and they will need a visa for stays in mainland EU of longer than 90 days in every 180-day period.
UK passport holders will also no longer be able to use the EU passport queue at borders and airports.
What about travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland?
While nothing changes for NI to GB travel, there will be differences in the opposite direction.
This is because while Britain is leaving the EU customs union and single market, Northern Ireland will continue to follow many of these rules.
This will include food products - such as meat, fish and eggs - arriving from Britain into Northern Ireland facing checks at ports to ensure they comply with EU standards.
Giving a simple example of the implications for travellers going from GB to NI, travel writer Simon Calder told the BBC: "You won't be able to bring any ham or cheese sandwiches because they are meat and dairy."
Is my driving licence valid for driving while travelling in the EU?
A driving licence from Northern Ireland will continue to be valid for driving in the EU, including the Republic of Ireland.
Drivers from Northern Ireland travelling across the border will not need an International Driving Permit (IDP). However, motorists who only have a paper licence will need an IDP in some EU countries.
A green card from your insurer will be needed for driving in the Republic and mainland Europe, according to the Irish government website.
Residents in the Republic who hold a UK or Northern Ireland driving licence will need to contact the National Driver Licence Service to exchange their licence as it will not be valid from January 1.
The UK government has advised that arrangements for EU licence holders visiting or living in the UK will not change.
What happens to EU pet passports?
Stock image(Image: Getty Images)
There will be no changes to the current rules for Northern Ireland pet owners travelling to the Republic or the rest of the EU.
Current EU pet passports will no longer be valid from January 1, but pet owners in Northern Ireland can contact their vet to update their pet passport to allow for continued travel.
However, there will be changes for travel with pets from Britain into Northern Ireland or the EU.
Owners of dogs, cats or ferrets must ensure measures are taken including having their pets are microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.
Is using my mobile phone abroad going to cost more?
At least for now, it should not become more expensive.
The UK's four main providers - O2, EE, Vodafone and Three - say they have no plans to reintroduce roaming charges, but they would be free to do so in future.
The British government has set a cap of £45 (€50) in any billing period in a bid to protect against excessive fees.
Will European health insurance cards still work?
European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) cards, which allow state-provided emergency medical care in Europe, will remain valid until they expire.
The UK government has said it will be replaced by its own UK Global Health Insurance Card, the details of which have yet to be finalised.
Either way, the Irish government has committed to funding the EHIC scheme for people in Northern Ireland.
Can I study in mainland Europe?
While students at universities in Britain will no longer be able to take part in the Erasmus exchange programme, in Northern Ireland students will still be eligible due to an Irish government funding pledge worth an estimated €2.1m per year.
Erasmus allows students to study or undertake a work placement in another EU member state while having their fees covered.
Does duty-free shopping make a return?
Stock image(Image: Getty Images)
Duty-free sales return for passengers travelling between Ireland and Britain, but it will not apply for travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
According to the UK government website, travellers returning from the EU will have a new duty-free allowance of 200 cigarettes; nine litres of sparkling wine or four litres of spirits; 18 litres of still wine; and 42 litres of beer.
Can businesses in Northern Ireland still trade with the Republic, Britain and mainland Europe?
Britain is no longer be part of the EU's Single Market and Customs Union, but Northern Ireland will retain some ties to the EU.
The Northern Ireland Protocol means the region remains in the EU's single market for goods and applies EU customs rules at its ports.
This means no new checks or controls for north-south trade on the island of Ireland.
However, goods arriving from Britain will face some checks and controls at Northern Ireland's ports from January 1 .
How is the fisheries trade affected in Northern Ireland?
Fishing rights was a key sticking point in negotiations on a UK-EU trade deal.
The UK will have control over its fishing grounds, but EU boats will be able to fish in UK waters for some years to come at least.
Some 25% of the value of EU boats' current catch will be made available for UK fishing boats over a five-and-a-half-year phasing-in period.
After that, the UK and EU will regularly negotiate on access to each other's waters, which would include Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Assembly has rejected the UK government's post- Brexit trade deal with the European Union.
The vote will not affect the end of the transition period later this week, but Stormont speaker Alex Maskey will convey the Assembly's view to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
MLAs held the debate as an overwhelming majority of MPs at Westminster backed a bill bringing the trade deal into UK law.
The European Union (Future Relationship) Bill was passed by 521 to 73 votes in the House of Commons.
All of Northern Ireland's MPs who take their seats at Westminster voted against the trade deal.
In Belfast, MLAs voted by 47 to 38 in favour of an SDLP -amended motion rejecting Brexit and withholding consent for the legislation.
The Assembly was recalled early from recess by the first and deputy first ministers to debate the tariff-free trade deal announced on Christmas Eve.
There was criticism of the deal from each of the parties represented in the Assembly.
First Minister Arlene Foster moved the original motion, which was simply that the Assembly would note the UK-EU trade deal.
The DUP leader said: "A free-trade deal is better than no deal, but for Northern Ireland this deal does not undo the detrimental aspects of the Protocol."
While Britain is leaving the EU customs union and single market, Northern Ireland will continue to follow many of these rules under the Northern Ireland Protocol secured in 2019's Withdrawal Agreement.
The arrangement, which aims to prevent a hard land border with the Irish Republic, will mean additional checks for goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
The second, proposed by the UUP, called for safeguards to protect trade for at least a year. It fell by 38 votes to 49.
The third, proposed by DUP MLAs, called for the Executive to work with the UK government to "mitigate against those damaging outcomes flowing from the protocol". It fell by 37 votes to 49.
The successful SDLP motion rejected Brexit in line with the EU referendum result in Northern Ireland, called for the implementation of the Protocol, and for the Assembly to "decline legislative consent to the British government to impose the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill, their inferior trade deal and their Brexit against the will of the people of Northern Ireland".
Speaking outside the chamber, SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon said Stormont had set an "important precedent".
"The British government must accept that it does not have the support or the confidence of the people of Northern Ireland for their Brexit," she said.
In the Commons, DUP chief whip Sammy Wilson said the "euphoria" of leaving the EU was "tinged with sadness" because of the Prime Minister's deal.
"Northern Ireland will not enjoy all the benefits of this deal, and indeed we will still find ourselves in many ways tied to some of the restrictions of EU membership," he said.
Mr Wilson denied the deal damages the Union, insisting Northern Ireland will remain in the UK rather than "joining the Irish Republic, a small nation which will bob about in the storms of economic chaos".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood rejected the Brexit deal, saying that Northern Ireland has "chosen a different path to the one driven by English nationalism".
He told MPs he believes the "United Kingdom is coming to an end" and it brought a responsibility to "conduct the coming conversation with patience, care and compassion".
Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said the Conservative government "owns this deal" and he was not prepared to "acquiesce in a monumental act of self-harm".
However, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis insisted the deal will benefit the region.
He also rejected the suggestion that Brexit could hasten the end of the union between Northern Ireland and Britain.
"I fundamentally disagree with that, I think actually quite the opposite," he told media in a virtual press conference.
He added: "As we leave the transition period, Northern Ireland is going to have this phenomenal benefit of being not just part of the UK customs territory and single market, but also that ability to trade freely with the EU.
"It's going to have a unique position that if it wasn't part of the United Kingdom, it wouldn't have."
First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster spoke to the BBC's Andrew Marr about the UK's current Brexit situation and Northern Ireland's current border control.
Having been in the news a lot more recently than ever before, ‘free ports’ are becoming something of a buzzword, sitting alongside the likes of ‘Brexit,’ ‘free-trade deal,’ ‘tariff-free access’ and other well-used terminology.
With the Brexit transition period ending at 11pm UK time on 31st December, the prospect of more free ports in the UK is becoming more of a reality than ever before.
But the burning questions for so many up and down the country are: what is a free port? How do free ports work? And does the UK already have any free ports?
In short, free ports work by providing benefits for businesses involved in importing and re-exporting, with the country’s normal rules for tax and customs not applying to free port zones.
This enables imports to come into free ports more easily than other areas of the country, with no tariffs applied, and simpler requirement for customs documentation.
What Happens If Goods Move Out of a Free Port Zone?
Businesses can only benefit from free ports when staying within their designated area. If goods are then moved outside the free port zone to other areas of the country, they must undergo the standard importing process, whichincludes paying for tariffs.
Therefore, free ports are most beneficial for businesses involved in importing, processing goods, and then re-exporting. Also, with potentially huge trade deals already being mooted with the likes of the USA, Australia, India and others, free ports may prove to be a gem in the global free trade crown of the UK.
What Is a Free Port?
Many of us have heard the word before, but what exactly is a free port? A free port is a specific area where importing rules differ from the rest of the country. As previously mentioned, they encourage business involved in importing and re-exporting, benefiting from a lack of trading tariffs and simplified customs documentation.
Free ports can be hubs for industries such as manufacturing, enabling them to produce goods from cheaper imports, and thereby promote cost-efficiency. Interestingly, although only coming to the fore in recent months, many MPs, politicians and commentators have been talking about free ports for quite some time, including current front-bencher and minister, Rishi Sunak.
Does the UK Have Any Free Ports?
No, the UK currently does not have free ports, however was previously home to several before the year 2012 (when the country stopped renewing legislation establishing their active use). Below is a list of places where free ports used to be in the UK:
• Southampton • Liverpool • Glasgow Prestwick Airport • Port of Tilbury
Whilst the UK may not currently hold active free ports, they do have similar zones known as enterprise zones. These zones offer benefits such as government support and tax breaks, made to encourage and promote business more generally rather than free ports that specifically benefit those involved in imports and re-exports.
How Long Have Free Ports Been Around For?
Whilst the news has opened up a relatively new discussion around the topic of free ports, they’ve actually been around for centuries. What is still a mystery is exactly how free ports came to be. From what we know, free ports developed in Italy towards the end of the Renaissance, where competition was rising to attract trade, causing several states to open their ports for foreign merchants. Over time, free ports became areas with policies more liberal than the state they were in usually permitted.
Free ports then spread from Italy to the rest of Europe, and then globally during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Several free ports were operating in Britain as recently as 2012, these including the previously mentioned Southampton, Liverpool, Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Port of Tilbury – all of which were created during the 1980s. There are around 135 countries that hold free trade zones, one US Congressional report in 2013 estimating there to be a near 3,500 of these ports worldwide.
What Is the EU’s Stance on Free Ports?
The EU is said to not encourage free ports on the grounds that they may create unfair competition within the union. However, whilst not encouraged, free ports do exist within the EU. In fact, there are around 80 free ports in the EU. These areas vary in design, some created to encourage certain industries to the area (e.g. manufacturing, bio-sciences).
Whilst free ports still exist within the EU, they must comply with the union’s rules, such as their state aid rules which were made to create and maintain fair competition across all EU members.
Recently, it’s been claimed that Brussels is clamping down on the EU’s free ports, after it became known that their duty status and special tariff has aided along money laundering, organised crime and terrorism.
What Is the Point of a Free Port?
Free ports can offer benefits not only for the businesses within their zones, but also for the economy as a whole. Both free ports and free zones (such as enterprise zones) are built with the intention of stimulating economic activity throughout the areas they are established in.
Free ports can be used to encourage imports, which can further support and promote certain industries, helping them to grow within the country. For example, businesses involved in manufacturing can thrive in these zones, benefiting from cheaper imports and thereby boosting their cost-efficiency and overall productivity.
However, whilst UK industries could well benefit from free ports, some expert bodies in the field have claimed that the benefits of these zones are mixed.
What Are the Concerns Surrounding Free Ports?
Whilst many have begun to ask the question – what is a free port? and further how can a free port help to boost the post-Brexit economy? It’s worth paying attention to the concerns that also surround these areas.
One of the major concerns over the use of free ports is their potential to increase the risk of tax evasion and smuggling if not properly managed.
Last year, the European Commission reported that free ports might be “potentially vulnerable to money laundering or terrorism financing” as the zones offer a less controlled space where valuable items can be bought, stored and smuggled. However, this is not guaranteed to be the case and many argue that the benefits of free ports far outweigh any of the disadvantages or potential pitfalls.
The UK Trade Policy Observatory has stated the following on the matter:
“whilst some form of free zones could help with shaping export-oriented and place-based regional development programmes, policymakers should (i) devise measures that counteract possible diversion of economic activity from elsewhere, and (ii) offer a wider set of incentives than just free zones, while keeping within the WTO and any ‘level playing field’ obligations that arise from our trade agreements.”
With post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and the EU very much underway, free ports are being seen as one of the trump-cards of the government when it comes to exerting some pressure on the EU, by further opening up the UK to the rest of the world. With Boris Johnson and the UK keen on a free trade agreement with the EU and the EU keen on ‘regulatory alignment,’ what emerges remains to be seen.
Is the UK Introducing Free Ports Next Year?
Post-Brexit, there are many options for the UK economy, which although already forecast to grow faster than the economy of the Eurozone, and with the UK tech sector outstripping global growth, could unleash further potential through various options including post-Brexit free trade deals and free ports. As part of the UK’s plan to bring investment and growth to the UK post-Brexit, the government have launched an open consultation on establishing new free ports to the country, with many ministers and potentially Prime Minister Boris Johnson all very keen on the prospect of UK free ports.
It is unclear precisely how the UK’s new free ports will affect the country. Whilst ministers are arguing this may help to promote growth throughout a post-Brexit Britain, some critics are sceptical; expressing concerns similar to that of the European commission on money laundering and smuggling through free port’s less controlled zones.
According to a summary on the consultation, set to close on the 20th April 2020, the government state it is:
“working to boost economic activity across the UK, ensuring that towns, cities and regions across the country can begin to benefit from the opportunities of leaving the EU. As part of this work, the government aims to create up to 10 freeports in locations across the UK.”
The consultation description further reads “The government wants to establish freeports, which have different customs rules than the rest of the country, that are innovative hubs, boost global trade, attract inward investment and increase productivity. In doing so, the government wants freeports to generate employment opportunities to the benefit of some of our most deprived communities around the UK.”
The government has also stated it will be announcing the locations for the free ports during this year, aiming for the first zone to be opened in 2021. After the open consultation finishes, areas around the UK will be invited to offer themselves up as potential locations for the new free port zones.
