Now we’ll take back control
May’s vow as she hails ‘new sense of optimism’ over Brexit
‘Deep and special partnership’ ‘Best interests of the UK’
THERESA May will hail a ‘new sense of optimism’ over Brexit today as she pledges to secure a trade deal which ‘delivers prosperity and security for generations to come’.
Addressing the House of Commons for the first time since last week’s breakthrough, the Prime Minister will promise to ensure that a sovereign UK ‘takes control of its borders, money and laws once again’.
Striking an upbeat note about the next phase of talks with Brussels on trade and other issues, she will call for ‘bold new economic and security relationships’ with the EU after we leave.
Mrs May is likely to face a rousing reception from backbench Tory MPs today after dramatically regaining the political momentum. Details of her statement were released last night as:
The Irish government reacted furiously to Brexit Secretary David Davis’s claim that the deal was not legally enforceable, saying it was ‘binding’;
Labour was accused of planning to ‘betray’ voters by seeking to allow ‘easy’ EU migration, paying billions to Brussels indefinitely and accepting EU diktats;
Mr Davis said he wanted a ‘Canada plus plus plus’ trade deal, but fiercely rejected the idea of the UK copying EU rules and regulations;
Ministers were braced for a rebellion from ten or more pro-Remain Tories on a crucial amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill this week.
Last week – after a frenetic 24 hours of diplomacy – Mrs May concluded her agreement with European Commission negotiators on the rights of EU nationals, the divorce settlement and Northern Ireland. On Thursday, leaders of EU member states are expected to sign off the deal, and agree that talks can move on to trade in the coming months.
In a statement to MPs today, Mrs May will confront doubters who suggested we wouldn’t get past phase one of the talks. She will also seek to unify Brexiteers and Remainers in her Cabinet.
She will say: ‘I have always been clear that this was never going to be an easy process. It has required give and take for the UK and the EU to move forward together. And that is what we have done.
‘Of course, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But there is, I believe, a new sense of optimism now in the talks and I fully hope and expect that we will confirm the arrangements I have set out today in the European Council later this week.
‘In doing so, we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see. A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again. A partnership that is in the best interests of the whole United Kingdom. And a partnership which can deliver prosperity and security for all our people, for generations to come.’
Mr Davis said the chance of there being ‘no deal’ had ‘dropped dramatically’. He also insisted Britain will not pay a £39 billion exit bill to Brussels unless there is a trade deal – rejecting a claim from Chancellor Philip Hammond that we would pay up regardless.
The Brexit Secretary also moved to calm fears of Brexiteers concerned by a section of the agreement which said Britain would have ‘full alignment’ with the EU on regulations and standards that had an impact on Northern Ireland.
Mr Davis insisted the phrase had been changed from ‘non-divergence’ which would have meant ‘cutting and pasting’ rules from Brussels. Instead, Britain would be allowed to change its rules as long as they resulted in similar outcomes, he said. But his suggestion the deal on Ireland was ‘much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing’ sparked a swift backlash from Dublin, which sought the assurances to avoid a ‘hard border’ with Northern Ireland.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s premier, has described Britain’s commitments to ensure no return to a hard border as ‘cast-iron’.
The Irish government’s chief whip, Joe McHugh, added: ‘We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the UK to account, as will the EU.’