The Future Partnership with EU

The Future Partnership - Theresa May's Speech in London

The long awaited sixth of the senior Conservative Cabinet members' clarification on "The Road to Brexit" was delivered by Prime Minister,Theresa May on Friday 2 March,2018 at Mansion House, City of London, to a wide audience of journalists from Britain,EU, and ambassadors. 

The Prime Minister spelled out her aims for UK-EU Trade after Brexit following her earlier addresses at Lancaster House,London and Florence last year 2017 and the one delivered in February 2018 in  Berlin.

The main theme in all her addresses were "tacking back control of our money, our borders and our laws." 

Her Mansion House Address went further in response to the demand of Opposition Leader,Jeremy Corbyn and some Conservative rebels for the "UK to remain in the Customs Union with the EU after Brexit."

She said she wanted the broadest and deepest possible agreement covering more sections and cooperating more fully than "any Free Trade anywhere in the world today." 

In her clarification she went on to reveal comparisons of Trade deals of many nations with the EU ranging from Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, South Korea and recently Canada.With each of these nations there were variations applicable to the situations in these countries and adaptions made to suit the circumstances. She was hard pressed to state that there was no off the shelf solution.. She implied the same set of guidelines of understanding will guide the future of her negotiations with the EU. 

Theresa May's pitch to the EU was that she can be trusted to uphold the values of the EU project. She urged the EU to show more flexibility in talks on a future relationship after Brexit. She said "we all need to face up to some hard facts and neither of us can have exactly what we want. We need to strike a balance."

It was an ambitious appeal for a tailor made Free Trade deal that would include financial services and not an off the shelf trading arrangement. She said Britain would aim for associate membership of EU regulators covering chemicals, medicines and aerospace.

It was a different and more pragmatic Theresa May on this occasion as she jettisoned her earlier view that Britain could walk away from the talks as she appealed to the EU to work together to secure some of the more difficult problems, including over Northern Ireland, where there was some fear of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit.. She was adamant on keeping the border open as per the Good Friday Agreement.

The EU must now consider whether they want to put rigid doctrines ahead of the mutual interests of her people and those in the UK. 

EU observers state she is sincere, but European leaders fear she is weak. 

The choice for the people of UK and EU is whether the reality of Brexit matches up to what has been promised.

Victor Cherubim 

May's five tests for the future Brexit trade talks

First, the agreement we reach with the EU must respect the result of the referendum.It was a vote to take control of our borders,laws and money. And a vote for wider change,so that no community in Britain would ever be left behind again. But it was not a vote for a distant relationship with our neighbours.

Second, the new agreement we reach with the EU must endure. After Brexit both the UK and the EU want to forge ahead with building a better future for our people,not find ourselves back at the negotiating table because things have broken down.

Third, it must protect people's jobs and security. People in the UK voted for our country to have a new and different relationship with Europe, but while the means may change our shared goals surely have not - to work together to grow our economies and keep our people safe.

Fourth, it must be consistent with the kind of country we want to be as we leave: a modern,open, outward looking, tolerant, European democracy. A nation of pioneers,innovators,explorers and creators. A country that celebrates our history and diversity,confident of our place in the world; that meets its obligations to our near neighbours and far off friends, and is proud to stand up for its values.

And fifth, in doing all of these things,it must strengthen our union of nations and our union of people.

We must bring our country back together,taking into account the views of everyone who cares about this issue,from both sides of the debate. As prime minister it is my duty to represent all of our United Kingdom,England,Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; north and south, from coastal towns and rural villages to our great cities.