European Council

Lord Callanan Excerpts

Monday 24th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

Perhaps the noble Lord will permit me to write to him with details on that issue.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, does not the failure of the EU to agree so far the trade agreement with Wallonia—which I note is being held up by the socialists in the same way as the TTIP agreement is being held up by the socialists in France—demonstrate that if the UK wants to have a free trading future, trading with all the great growing economies of the world, we need to do it from outside the EU?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

As I have said, we still hope that the EU will be able to sign a trade deal with Canada. We want to get a good trade deal with the EU. We have also been clear that we will not be following an existing model; we will have a bespoke arrangement. My noble friend is absolutely right that we need to be looking outwardly to countries across the world—the Commonwealth and others—with whom we can develop even stronger relationships than we have now.