King’s Speech

Lord Razzall Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Razzall (LD)]

My Lords, it will come as no surprise to people who have listened to me over the last few years that I, like my noble friend Lord Thomas of Gresford, would like to talk in this context about our relationship with the European Union.

I could have spoken last week on the economic affairs debate, but I am speaking today on foreign affairs because I believe that our relationship with the European Union is the biggest long-term issue facing the United Kingdom. It is not just an economic issue. Can we really believe, as the Brexiteers wanted, that we can cut ourselves off from Europe and rely on our special relationship with the United States? We have a President there who has threatened to invade Greenland, who has started a war in Iran without consulting his NATO allies, who threatened to kick Spain out of NATO when it objected to the Iran war, and who has said that the US should think again about UK sovereignty in the Falklands. Can we really rely on the special relationship any more?

It is now 10 years since the referendum and, as various speakers on these Benches have indicated, Brexit has clearly failed. The limited economic advantages arising from our recent trade deals are more than offset, as my noble friend Lord Thomas of Gresford indicated, by the recent calculation, admitted by the Government, of an 8% cost of Brexit to UK GDP. Even the trade deals that have been done outside the framework of our membership of the European Union, including the one announced yesterday with the Gulf states, are merely a pinprick in relation to the overall 8% cost of Brexit. In this context, the Government’s approach to Europe is too restrictive, as shown in the European legislation in the King’s Speech. A reset of our relationship, bound by the rigid red lines on free movement and the customs union, is inadequate when Brexit is failing and the US is unreliable as a strategic partner.

My noble friend Lady Suttie, in her opening remarks, echoed the call by the former leader of our party, Nick Clegg, for a 10-year programme ending in rejoining the European Union. His thesis is that first we should negotiate to join a bespoke customs union. Then we should move on to join the single market. Ultimately, in 10 years’ time, we should apply for full membership. The public, as we have seen recently, are on the side of this approach. A recent poll showed that 55% of the electorate now want to rejoin the European Union. To the surprise of many, 63% want to return to free movement. This is supported, as we know, by the noble Lord, Lord Kinnock, who unfortunately is not in his place.

The argument that the European Union will not want us needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, as indicated by my noble friend Lady Suttie. Over the next 10 years, the European Union will see fundamental changes, particularly with the admission of Ukraine, one of the world’s largest farming communities, which it is pressing for. We cannot yet foresee the impact that this will have on French and German farmers. However, following the admission of Ukraine, the EU will be a completely different entity from the one that we left. We will be not negotiating with the same institution.

Now is the time for the Government to be bold and not worry about the results of the Makerfield by-election.

Defence: Helicopters

Lord Razzall Excerpts

Thursday 14th June 2018 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I do not think that this Government or any preceding recent Government have pretended that we can maintain sovereign capability in every area of our defence requirements. We certainly consider maintaining sovereign capability where that is in the national interest but, in general, competition ensures best value for money, best capability and innovation.

[Lord Razzall (LD)]

My Lords, following up on my noble friend’s Question, I am sure the Minister will agree that this not only is a question for the south-west but also affects the position of Airbus, which, after all, provides at the moment one-third of all UK defence helicopters. Bearing in mind the likely pressures on Airbus to shift production to France or Germany if Brexit happens, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that Airbus’s helicopter capability remains in the UK?

[Earl Howe]

The noble Lord is right: Airbus provides the majority of police and emergency services helicopters and has the largest share of the UK’s civil and military market. Its main base is in Oxford, where it modifies and customises helicopters, although the design and manufacture is completed in France, as the noble Lord is aware. We are in regular contact and have regular discussions with the company. The aerospace growth partnership, in particular, enables the industry and Government to engage on a formal basis to tackle the barriers and unlock market opportunities across these sectors of the economy.