UK-EU Summit

Lord Clarke of Nottingham Excerpts

Wednesday 21st May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Clarke of Nottingham (Con)]

My Lords, I congratulate the Government on their progress in strengthening the European arm of NATO in the light of the changed circumstances we have, and on the start they have made on putting us back into a healthier relationship—a soft Brexit—with the European Union, to replace the hard Brexit that has done so much harm to our economy in recent years and continues to do so. But will she acknowledge that this is by no means a final deal, and there are many questions to be asked and many other areas to be opened up, such as benefits that might be brought to other sectors of the economy, to get us back to something like the healthy trading relationship we had with the EU before Brexit intervened? Will she confirm that we can make great progress without in any way compromising the public vote in the referendum? The hard Brexit we had was quite unnecessarily, fiercely anti-European. Can she reassure us that this is only the start of a continuing process of negotiation, so that we see firm detail and more positive results for interest groups in addition to the farmers?

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

My Lord, the noble Lord makes an experienced and wise point. There is more flesh to be put on the bones of these particular agreements as well. For me, one of the most important things that came out of this is that now we have a willingness to talk, engage and reach agreement. That has been sadly missing, and this has been damaging to the British economy and the British people. There will be an annual summit as well, and there are a number of issues that are referenced in the documentation. I am thinking, for example, of those in the creative industries, touring musicians, et cetera—that is mentioned as well. There is more detail to be put on paper on the youth experience scheme and all those issues. But, yes, the annual summit is a way to have these discussions, and we are also looking to trade with other countries around the world. We all, I hope, want to see a better relationship with the EU—one that is mature—where we can have those discussions. Where we agree and can move forward, we want to do so. So there are outstanding issues and details here, and we intend to make that progress in the interests of the economy and the people of this country.