Now, more than ever, we must act to keep the EU at bay...

AS WE approach the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, it is increasingly clear that the Withdrawal Agreement is dead on its feet.

It would be a huge mistake to think that packing our bags without a trade deal will end our woes – we will still be shackled to this rotten treaty, the WA.

After the transition period of deliberation ends on New Years’ Eve, significant areas of EU law will continue to have direct effect within the UK.

Unfortunately, in important areas EU law would continue to dominate in our domestic courts over UK laws, perhaps even over future Acts of Parliament, and we would be subject to the European Court of Justice.

Even our current overlords at the European

Commission may be able to directly enforce these laws in the ECJ or other international bodies bound it. Does this look like hard-won freedom? We must take positive action to change this legal reality, otherwise we will remain burdened by Brussels’ demands for the indefinite future. In practice, we will end up tied to the Union, even if the badge on our lapel says

‘freedom’. It is a reminder of how dominating and overweening is the character of the EU.

Northern Ireland would be torn from the rest of the UK. The UK would be forcefully split down the middle, as Northen Ireland sees an endless list of EU single market laws relating to goods imposed, in addition to EU VAT laws, laws binding the wholesale electricity market, and EU customs legislation.

Our only way out of this mess is to replace the WA with a new deal that enshrines our right to a free trade agreement with Europe.