‘UK must start acting like an independent nation to get better deals’
BRITAIN must take a tougher approach to the Brexit negotiations, as until now the EU has won a series of concessions and “offered little in return”, a senior trade expert has said.
Shanker Singham, a former US trade adviser whose counsel has been sought by Cabinet ministers, civil servants and backbenchers, says the UK needs a “paradigm shift in mindset” and must “start acting like the independent nation that we are about to become”.
His comments on telegraph.co.uk follow unease among Eurosceptic MPs about the concessions being granted by Britain to secure a deal on the 21-month implementation period beginning next March.
Following the deal signed off by the European Council earlier this month, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary hailed the fact that it would give “certainty” to businesses and that it allowed the UK to “step out, sign and ratify new trade deals” from exit day.
But Brexiteers accuse the Government of “giving in” on key issues, such as Britain taking control of its waters.
In the article, Mr Singham, who runs a new trade unit at the free-market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, states: “We must move from a mindset where UK negotiators think the EU and UK are basically trying to sort out a problem that the British electorate has given them, but are now on opposite sides of the table in a trade negotiation.
“The EU does not always have UK interests at heart as they have already demonstrated, most recently in respect of the manner in which our negotiations in the World Trade Organisation are concerned. We need to become more savvy about their tactics.
“So far, in the year since Article 50 negotiations commenced, it is the UK that has made concessions to the EU, which the EU has pocketed and offered little in return.”
At last month’s European Council meeting, leaders of the other 27 EU states signed off on guidelines for Michel Barnier, their chief Brexit negotiator, to follow in negotiations on security and economic relationships.
Mr Davis, addressing claims that the UK would fail to secure a deal that could honour Theresa May’s “red lines” and avoid a hard border in the Irish Sea, said last week that the “overwhelmingly likely option” was a free trade and customs agreement that would make finding a solution to the border question “much, much easier”. In response to concerns about fishing rights, he also said that after the end of the transition period “we will negotiate with our surrounding states so that we have access to their waters and theirs to ours, and markets and so on, but it will be under our control.”
But in a separate article, Dr Radomir Tylecote, a former treasury adviser, and Victoria Hewson, an ex City lawyer, warned: “It is critical that our negotiators adopt a much more robust approach.”
They added: “We must recognise that EU negotiating mandates are not tablets of stone, but indications of what the EU thinks it can get. The EU is the master of opening with bids that are far beyond its bottom line. The UK must put forward sensible proposals, backed by evidence, to change the negotiating dynamics in our favour.”
Meanwhile, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordi-
‘The European Union does not always have British interests at heart, as they have already demonstrated’
nator, was more optimistic than ever before about the chances of a successful deal but warned against hardliners on both sides forcing a bare bones agreement.
He said British must come forward with “serious proposals” to prevent a hard border in Ireland or risk the negotiations failing.
And he told The Sunday Telegraph that the Salisbury nerve agent attack proved that Britain and the EU needed to move quickly to forge close security and defence links after Brexit.
“Despite Jean Claude Juncker’s letter of congratulations to Russian President Putin, EU countries have shown absolute solidarity with the UK,” he said. “Putin is testing the West and if we fail to stand up to him, he will be emboldened.”
The European Commission, which is leading negotiations on behalf of the EU, has said the Withdrawal Agreement must be finalised by October so there was time to ratify the agreement before Brexit Day.
“The most pressing issue is to secure an agreement on a backstop solution to prevent any hardening of the Irish border before the summer,” added Mr Verhofstadt.
SIR – It appears that Christopher Booker (The Last Word, March 25) would rather see Brexit fail on the Irish border issue than see his own jeremiads confounded.
Relations between Ireland and the UK have long predated the EU, and left to ourselves we are perfectly capable of reaching an agreement, even if it does not accord perfectly with EU rules.
Michel Barnier tries to create obstacles where none exist. However, even his principles turn to fudge if the price is right. The EU neither needs nor wants the UK, but it does need our money. Our trump hand is the £40 billion divorce settlement, without which the EU would disintegrate even sooner than would otherwise be the case. The only question is whether our politicians have the nerve to deploy it. Chris Jones
Croydon, Surrey
SIR – As a former fisheries officer, I share Elizabeth Marshall’s concerns about fish stocks (Letters, March 25); however, I take issue with her reference to “our” stocks of sole.
Most of the commercially significant fish stocks in British waters are “shared and straddling”. As likely as not, the fish to which she refers will have spawned and started to mature in the shallow waters off the Dutch coast before migrating to mature in the deeper waters off the British coast. Is it not reasonable that we should share and conserve them jointly? Lt Cdr Philip Barber
Havant, Hampshire