European Council

Caroline Lucas Excerpts

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman seems to be able to contain his misery.

[Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green)]

Not everyone shares the Prime Minister’s enthusiasm for the imminent application of the EU-Canada agreement, not least because the comprehensive economic and trade agreement’s new investment court system still fails to address serious concerns about the investor-state dispute settlement process. Does she regard CETA as a blueprint for the trade deals that she thinks the Government can so easily agree, once the UK has left the EU? What reassurance can she give us about protecting key social and environmental standards and our public services if that is the case?

[The Prime Minister]

There is no blueprint. I have said consistently over the past seven months or so that we are not looking to adopt another country’s model for our relationship with the European Union. We will negotiate the deal that is right for the UK.