European Union: Trade

Lord Liddle Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Liddle]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission on securing better trade terms with the European Union, including through a possible customs union as suggested by Commissioner Šefčovič.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government are committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by reducing barriers to trade. We will negotiate a veterinary sanitary and phytosanitary—SPS—agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks. We aim to secure mutual recognition for professional qualifications, and we will work to help our touring artists. We look forward to exploring these issues with the EU, but we have been clear that there will be no return to freedom of movement, the customs union or the single market.

[Lord Liddle (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for her Answer. Since I tabled this Question, we have had the Chancellor’s growth speech, which recommitted the Government to this reset of our relations. Does my noble friend agree that this is a means of lessening unnecessary barriers to trade, in a shorter timeframe than many big infrastructure projects, that would lead to better growth prospects and greater overseas-investor confidence in Britian and help the tens of thousands of SMEs that have ceased to trade with Europe because of the Brexit barriers? Does she also agree that, now that the new Conservative leader has said that Brexit was ill-planned, this presents an opportunity to overcome the blockers to a better trading arrangement?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for raising the comments made by the leader of the Opposition. I understand she has criticised her predecessors for mishandling Brexit, saying that leaving the EU without a growth plan was a “mistake”. I hope this means that we can work on a cross-party basis on these issues, because resetting our relationship with the EU will be key to delivering our plan for change and our plan for growth. The Chancellor has been clear that removing barriers to trade with the EU is critical to support growth and help our businesses. As the Chancellor said recently in her Mansion House speech, our biggest trading partner is the EU. We must recognise that our markets are highly interconnected and ensure that our approach to the EU reset supports growth and delivers investment for the economy.