The “Chequers deal” is 95% of the way there! However, certain parts, such as the suggestion of a Common Rulebook, which could see us take guidance from the European Court of Justice, and the facilitated customs model which hinders our ability to strike new trade deals, are also very unlikely to be acceptable to the EU.
I hope that our Government, led by Theresa May, pivots away from these elements and opts for a comprehensive free trade deal which gives us the unfettered ability to strike new trade deals.
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I hope that the Government will not persist in trying to sell the unsaleable with those bits of the White Paper that the European Union will not accept. The Prime Minister has played a canny hand so far, and I sincerely hope that she and the Government will now pivot away from the unsaleable elements of the White Paper, especially in relation to the common rulebook and the facilitated customs model, and refocus our future commercial relationship around what is possible, namely this unprecedented bespoke free trade agreement between the EU27 and the United Kingdom.
I cannot conclude without saying something more about Scotland, but before I do, let me say that I associate myself with many of the comments that have been made by Conservative Members about the £39 billion that we have seemingly committed. We should definitely question the value for money behind that kind of exchange of currency.