European Council — House of Lords, 2017-03-14
Topic: International Affairs
Richard Newby (Liberal Democrats, Centre to centre-left): My Lords, like the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, I was struck by the Prime Minister’s claim that she was, "able to show once again how Britain will continue to play a leading role in Europe, long after we have left the European Union" The Statement sets out the roles we play at present in a number of areas but I wonder how these roles will be maintained in the years to come. For example, if we are, "providing additional staff to support interviewing of Iraqi, Afghan and Eritrean nationals", in Greece, do the Government envisage that we will play this sort of role beyond Brexit? The Prime Minister then said that, "we need a better overall approach to managing economic migration" In which form does she envisage that such an overall approach will be co-ordinated involving the United Kingdom? On the western Balkans, the Prime Minister said: "We will provide strategic communications expertise to the EU institutions to counter disinformation campaigns" This is very welcome but how does the noble Baroness, Lady Evans, envisage that we might provide that kind of support, vital as the Government claim it is, once we have left the European Union Turning to growth and competitiveness, the Statement says that the Prime Minister wants us, "to build a new relationship … that will give our companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the European market" That is of course welcome but outside the single market and the customs union it is impossible to have the maximum freedom to trade, so how do the Government marry that welcome assertion with their actual actions? The Statement goes on, as the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, pointed out, with the Prime Minister rather patronisingly calling, "for further steps to complete the single market and the digital single market", at the very moment when we say that it is such a costly thing for the United Kingdom to be a member of the single market that we are leaving it. Was that well received? Did they think, "Yes, the Prime Minister really has a consistency of approach on that" The Statement mentions strengthening our trade relationship with the Commonwealth. Does the noble Baroness, Lady Evans, accept that our trade with the Commonwealth amounts to 9% of our total trade, compared to 44% of our total trade being with the EU? Does she believe that the scope for increased trade with the Commonwealth will be greater than the threat of reduced trade with the EU outside the single market On triggering Article 50, the Prime Minister said that, "we will use this moment of opportunity to build a stronger economy and a fairer society" Those are very familiar words on these Benches: "A Stronger Economy and a Fairer Society", was indeed the Liberal Democrat general election slogan. While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I jolly well hope that the Government have more success with it than we did But a stronger economy and fairer society is impossible to achieve outside the European Union. There is no significant body of opinion, beyond one or two noble Lords opposite, which believes that we will have a stronger economy. If we do not have a stronger economy, we will not have as strong public finances, and without public finances being as strong, it is frankly impossible for the state to promote the kind of fairer society of which the Government, and in particular the Prime Minister, speak so often Finally, the Statement says that, "this is not a moment to play politics or create uncertainty and division. It is a moment to bring our country together" I wonder whether the Prime Minister, or indeed the noble Baroness the Leader of the House, has tested that sentiment on the 3 million EU citizens living in the UK and their families.