Your Brexit questions answered by man in charge of securing deal with EU

MPs had been due to vote today on the Government’s plan for Brexit only for Theresa May to put it off at the last minute amid talks of a rebellion in the Commons.

But with the March 29 deadline edging ever closer and lingering confusions over what our future relationship with Europe will look like, we took your questions straight to the man in charge of sorting it all out.

We asked Gazette readers what questions they wanted answering by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay – and here are his answers.

We keep being told how bad trade will be if we leave the EU. But isn’t it true that Europe will be the poorer if it doesn’t trade with us? Is this scaremongering to keep us in the EU?

Dorothy Laycock

“Thanks for your question Dorothy. I actually have to disagree with anyone who says we won’t have a great trading future after we leave the EU. We will have the ability to strike trade deals with other countries around the world, opening up the opportunities even further for businesses to export and grow internationally. We’ve agreed a new relationship with the EU which includes a new free trade area with no tariffs, fees or restrictions on the volume of goods we can import or export. And countries such as Australia are saying that they are looking forward to negotiating a trade deal with us.”

Why not bite the bullet and have another referendum now that the public understand what leave really means to them personally?

Andy Rushton

“Hi Andy, the people of Blackpool and indeed the rest of the country had a say when they took part in biggest democratic exercise this country has ever known. It is important that we deliver on the vote. We are now doing as the people instructed and delivering on the result of the referendum. Any second referendum would be a betrayal of democracy – we cannot, and should not, ignore what people voted for in the referendum.”

If we leave without a formal deal and have to rely on World Trade Organisation rules, how much additional revenue would the government collect from European imports tariffs? Given Europe exports seven times as much to us as we do to them, will this mean we could compensate our exporters (with tax breaks) and then use the additional revenue to reduce VAT rates etc?

Chris Rinder

“Chris, you may have seen the analysis we published last week – that is clear that no deal is not the best bet for our economy, and it would also come with disruption and uncertainty. The deal we’ve agreed with the EU includes a free trade area with no tariffs, fees, and no restrictive quotas on how much we can import and export. It’s an unprecedented economic relationship that no other major economy has with the EU.”

Would the European Free Trade Association membership, joining Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, be a far superior option? We would be in the single market, EFTA existing trade deals, negotiate our own trade deals but safeguard our sovereignty, tax decisions and justice system and only have to pay a modest contribution.

Steve Smith

“Thanks for your question Steve. The deal that the we’ve worked hard to negotiate gives us the ability to strike trade deals with other countries around the world our own terms. The other options you’ve suggested don’t respect the reasons why the people of the UK voted to leave, for example an EEA trade agreement would allow people to move freely, which would go against the referendum result. These options also don’t address the Ireland border issue, or remove the need for a backstop.

“You need a backstop because it provides certainty for the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland. It is an insurance policy which guarantees that all the progress we have made with the Belfast Agreement cannot be undone and that we can continue to build on the 20 years of peace in Northern Ireland.

“This is the only deal that provides that certainty - nothing else could preserve the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom, uphold the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and ensure people and businesses that rely on an open border between the Northern Ireland and Ireland can continue living their lives and operating as they do now.”

Why pay £39bn to leave when we could use that money to get veterans off the streets?

Gary Taylor

“Thanks Gary. We’ve agreed to settle our obligations as departing members of the EU - we are a country that plays by the rules and honours its obligations: to do anything else would be wrong. The financial settlement means that EU projects which the UK, and British individuals and businesses, started while we were an EU member can be completed as planned, and won’t need to fall back on the government’s funding guarantee. It is also much lower than some of the estimates some suggested earlier in this process, which put the up front cost as high as £100bn! It’s also important to note that this has been agreed in the spirit of our future relationship. Making sure veterans get the right support is obviously extremely important. I know this is an issue that my colleagues at the Ministry of Defence, and across the whole of Government, are active on.”

Should there be a Mueller style investigation into the alleged involvement of hostile foreign powers and money in the 2016 referendum?

Rachel Ashley

“The referendum result was not bought nor decided by foreign influence. A record number of British voters who knew their own minds took part in the biggest democratic exercise this country has ever seen. I’m determined to deliver on that vote with our deal, which avoids the uncertainty of no deal and makes good on the fundamentals of what Brexiteers like me campaigned for.”

What will happen in the event Theresa May’s Deal doesn’t get through Parliament?

Matt Greenwood

“Thanks Matt. I’ve been working hard to let British people know why I believe in this deal and why it delivers on the outcome of the referendum. A lot of businesses I’ve been talking to have said time and time again that they want certainty, so they can confidently plan for the future, and this deal does that. If we reject this deal, that would mean damaging uncertainty which will threaten jobs, investment and the economy. It would also mean more division, rather than bringing the country back together. So the choice is backing the deal – or going back to square one by rejecting it. And nobody should be under any illusion that the EU is going to be prepared to start all over again and negotiate a new deal.”

When all this started Theresa May said no deal was better than a bad deal. Define a bad deal?

Adam Piksa

“Thanks for your question Adam. I really do think the deal that’s on the table is a good deal as it respects the reasons why people the people in Blackpool voted to leave the EU. I’ve been clear that I’m a strong supporter of the deal as it delivers on all the issues Brexiteers like me have been concerned about. A great country like ours should be able to make our own laws, decide who lives and works here and negotiate trade deals in the best interest of our people and our economy. A bad deal is one that stops us from doing all those things.”