The MP for Lichfield and Burntwood says the Brexit Deal will deliver on promises made to the British people.
The UK is due to leave the Single Market tomorrow (31st December) after a deal was agreed between the Government and EU leaders.
Parliament will vote on the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill today which will, if it passes, ratify the the trade deal.
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said he would be voting in support of the Bill.
“I believe the last minute deal with the EU delivers on the promises made to the British people back in 2016.
“From 11pm on New Year’s Eve, the United Kingdom will take back control of our laws, our borders, and our money, while continuing to remain close friends and allies of the European Union.
“This was the democratic wish expressed by almost 60% of the Lichfield constituency and by even more in the West Midlands as a whole.”
Michael Fabricant MP
Mr Fabricant said a number of constituents had written to him asking what benefits there will be for the region on the back of Brexit.
“From 1st January, the Government will have the freedom to reduce VAT – previously prevented by the EU – on any items it wishes such as on sanitary and other products. This may happen in the Budget in March.
“Farmers will no longer have to contribute to the meat and other ‘mountains’ generated by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy which so disadvantages farmers in developing countries.
“Agricultural imports from neglected developing countries will be permitted and the Government will finally be able to ban the export of live animals for slaughter abroad – a cruel practice enforced by the EU.
“The old Erasmus programme which previously sent fewer than 10,000 British students each year to EU countries to study, will be replaced by a British programme, The Turing Scheme, which will send up to 35,000 British students not only to EU countries as before, but also to renowned universities in the United States, Australia, and other countries worldwide.
“This is ‘Global Britain’ in practice.”
Michael Fabricant MP
“Outstanding opportunities for our people and our nation”
The Conservative MP said the creation of so-called Freeports will also attract investment in “previously neglected parts of the UK”.
“The UK is now free to introduce many other such schemes and legislate for smarter and better regulation instead of the ponderous and archaic rules that still prevail in continental Europe.
“And £18 billion of British taxpayers’ money will no longer be passed over annually to Brussels allowing it to be spent on the NHS and other British projects.
“Compared to markets in North America and the Far East, the EU is a trade bloc that has been sadly declining in recent years.
“Free trade between the UK and the EU will continue, but we are now able to strike our own trade agreements with the rest of the world including many major economies which have no trade agreements with the EU.
“This creates outstanding opportunities for our people and our nation.”
Michael Fabricant MP
The departure from the European Union will mean some changes for people travelling to holiday hotspots and cities across the continent in future.
But Mr Fabricant said travel would not be problematic.
“Visiting the EU on holiday will be as easy as before – just make sure you still have 6 months to run on your passport when you leave. And mobile phone roaming will remain unchanged.
“Now is the time to stop looking back wistfully to the past and our often unhappy relationship with the EU.
“We should embrace the future with enthusiasm and optimism.”
Michael Fabricant MP
To read the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, click here.
I wonder whether it’s time to caveat Fabricant’s promotional posts with warnings similar to what we see applied to Trump’s ramblings?
“This post about Brexit seeks to trivialise the changes coming, make it sounds like Britain will be better off and obfuscates a significant portion of trade losses or costs that will impact businesses.”
It’s unlikely Lichfield Live will take such a step, lest Fabricant strops off because his diatribes aren’t printed verbatim, so here’s my take on each of his points.
MF: “From 11pm on New Year’s Eve, the United Kingdom will take back control of our laws, our borders, and our money, while continuing to remain close friends and allies of the European Union.”
The question about laws is nuanced, as the law tends to be, this BBC editorial sets out to answer the question about EU vs UK law and what we accept as part of our membership, for those who want it brief, it’s about 7%, the EU directs law as part of the membership requirements, but it is up to us how we implement that (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36473105)
The UK always had full control of its borders, as Full Fact stated in this 2016 piece debunking Vote Leave’s claims we didn’t (https://fullfact.org/europe/border-security-eu/).
Money is an odd one, we never joined the Euro – perhaps Fabricant is hinting at the “£350m spend on our NHS,” they sure could do with it.
MF:” From 1st January, the Government will have the freedom to reduce VAT – previously prevented by the EU – on any items it wishes such as on sanitary and other products. This may happen in the Budget in March.”
The EU VAT directive is 15%, not the 20% currently levied by the Exchequer, I’m sure Rishi will enjoy reading that Fabricant is preempting his budget, especially with a £2tn deficit to manage, though no one will deny that the issue regarding women’s sanitary products will finally be resolved is a welcome one, though, oddly, member states in the pre-2018 directive were allowed to reduce VAT on specified items to 5%, it’s strange the government didn’t choose to do so. Assuming the directive is accepted, the new EU law would have allowed member states to adopt a zero rate for specified items, this proposed directive was introduced by the UK and subsequently seceded when we voted to leave, odd how these things happen.
MF”: Farmers will no longer have to contribute to the meat and other ‘mountains’ generated by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy which so disadvantages farmers in developing countries.”
There’s no doubt that creating a Common Agricultural Policy for 27 members states is difficult and it’s no secret that the most complex of these, the CAP, has not achieved the aims in which it was set-up, however Fabricant is trivialising things to score cheap points, “food mountains” as he put it, delivering aid to countries suffering famine, suffers from a problem – logistics, something the UK government is in a position to help resolve, it’s not a problem with the EU per se, but a systemic failure of government.
MF: “Agricultural imports from neglected developing countries will be permitted and the Government will finally be able to ban the export of live animals for slaughter abroad – a cruel practice enforced by the EU.”
Again, there’s more to this point than Fabricant lets on, yes many animal rights groups have petitioned for a change in the law to prevent live animals being exported on long journeys, but to add to the mix, this is not wholly supported by farmers, who will see this revenue stream disappear if the UK changes the law. Similarly developing countries will be cut-off from sending animals to the UK for slaughter, reducing their revenue streams and there’s no guarantee that our slaughter practises will retain the high-levels of care prescribed by the EU nor will we be able to control how meat was slaughtered prior to being sent to the UK.
MF: “The old Erasmus programme which previously sent fewer than 10,000 British students each year to EU countries to study, will be replaced by a British programme, The Turing Scheme, which will send up to 35,000 British students not only to EU countries as before, but also to renowned universities in the United States, Australia, and other countries worldwide.”
It’s 16,500 students Michael, with 35,000 coming here. Aside from Johnson declaring that his plans has “no threat” to the Erasmus programme, in an astonishing u-turn (not astonishing) we see Conservative Central is telling its MPs like Fabricant to push our hastily invented Turing Scheme (poor Alan, would he approve?) Despite Gavin “nice but dim” Williams assertion that 35,000 students will be able to study abroad and backed it with a £100m promise, clearly Gavin’s maths isn’t great as that works out at around £2850 per student, not nearly enough to study in countries that, when part of the Erasmus Scheme, benefits from large discounts on courses and accommodation. It’s further estimated that UK universities will see a £243m hole in their income as there’s no funding for foreign students to come to the UK. Nice one.
MF: “The UK is now free to introduce many other such schemes and legislate for smarter and better regulation instead of the ponderous and archaic rules that still prevail in continental Europe.
“And £18 billion of British taxpayers’ money will no longer be passed over annually to Brussels allowing it to be spent on the NHS and other British projects.”
Well yes, within the scope of the trade agreement, the clue is in the name, we remain aligned with the EU because their trade is based on agreements – to which we need to adhere, so we haven’t cast off the shackles of the EU as we ride roughshod into the setting sun, if we want their trade, we have to abide by some rules. Oh, and there’s the £350m per week for the NHS lie again, a figure that has been refuted, disputed and provoked naval gazing when repeated journalists asked when the NHS was going to see this extra money, Fabricant surely as a diligent minister must know that even the OBR have stated that the UK will be £15bn per year worse off by leaving the EU, I assume the Tory magic money tree is about to come into fruit?
MF: “Compared to markets in North America and the Far East, the EU is a trade bloc that has been sadly declining in recent years.”
Mildly amusing this one, if it didn’t affect livelihoods, the biggest slowdown in global trade for the EU has been the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s decision to leave, irrespective, the EU trade with the UK is worth an estimated £297bn. Trade with the US is worth around £130bn (each way) from 2019 figures, yes you read that right, 2019 – we already trade with the US, leaving the EU has no affect on this, nor the Far East for that matter. What does affect trade is time over distance and cost, it’s simply a case of location, the EU is on our doorstep, China and the US a tad further.
MF: “Free trade between the UK and the EU will continue, but we are now able to strike our own trade agreements with the rest of the world including many major economies which have no trade agreements with the EU.”
The EU has Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with 37 nations, soon to be 45, and has trading rules with every single other country in the world. As those FTAs encompass the largest trading nations, it’s unlikely that the UK will be able to replace the wide-ranging trade EU membership has to offer, but here’s hoping, as are the Tories.
MF: ““Visiting the EU on holiday will be as easy as before – just make sure you still have 6 months to run on your passport when you leave. And mobile phone roaming will remain unchanged.
“Now is the time to stop looking back wistfully to the past and our often unhappy relationship with the EU.
“We should embrace the future with enthusiasm and optimism.”
Slightly disingenuous, you’ll no longer be able to use the faster EU lanes, you’ll need the old green card system for driving and your pet passport is no longer valid. You’ll need to show a return ticket in some countries. You’ll need to be aware of the rules in each country now as we’re no longer treated as members of the European Union, so you rights to stay for specified times may be different. Forget working.
Michael wishes us to stop looking back, and bemoans “wistfully looking to the past,” if I am wistfully looking to the past, it is to a time when politics has a degree of honesty. Where self-serving MPs were fewer and the truth was not something to be disposed off so easily. Where bending the rules and transgressions has real consequences. Politicians has bemoaned over the years “why do the public distrust us,” it’s because of this sort of stuff Michael.
What planet is this sycophant on? Just when you think he couldn’t get more pointless and useless, he confounds us all.
When is LL going to feature a piece from the opposite view on this economic disaster?
John – we’ve carried plenty of pieces previously from the likes of Cllr Ray who is opposed to Brexit. Whether you like or loathe, the MP is the MP so his views on issues will always be something we will cover.
Darryl – it’s not a case of us not wanting to do something in case someone won’t speak to us (plenty have taken that position before now). We have always taken the view that the comments offer people a chance to challenge the views of those quoted.
Darryl – well done, you did what Lichfield Live sould not do. You countered our MP’s points with your opinion
The role of Lichfield Live is to provide an independent news platform and a chance for people to challenge, support or ignore the opinions of those featured. It has done just that and you have done what is required – challenged the MP.
John – I am sure if any other elected represented within Lichfield & District took the time to write and publish a counter to the MP’s claims and an anti-Brexit opinion then Lichfield Live will happily publish it. Like you I am waiting for that article, but I suspect it is mainly due to the fact that other elected representatives in this area have failed so far to put pen to paper and publish those opinions.
In both Darryl and John’s cases I think the criticism should not be levelled at Lichfield Live but rather at those eleted representatives who fail to stand up and voice their opinion.
Do not shoot the messenger. Rather channel that anger at an ineffective opposition who fail to be proactive in challenging these opinions. Be thankful that Lichfield Live exists to allow you to express your opinions and challenge the likes of our MP in a public forum. I cannot of think of too many other opportunities to do so that exist locally.
You cannot polish a turd. However you can elect one.
The debate regarding Brexit goes on regardless. It has now been implemented, which was the will of the people. The E.U. had to play hard ball in order to dissuade other members from a similar policy. Pragmatically an agreement was always likely.
It is futile to continue the debate. It is very doubtful any English government will seek to reverse the decision. I am confident we will flourish as a country and an independent voice in Europe and the World.
As for our M. P. We haven’t had a good one since Bruce Grocott. A long time ago. The decline of Lichfield and the constituency started after his time.
Give it a few months for the decline of our service economy, the biggest part of the economy by far which has lost vital access to Europe for example financial services passporting, the sovereign British fish for British people debate to carry on, the immigration which has to happen to support our public services which will carry on…all various reasons why people voted to leave.
Then add covid unemployment, the frustrations of many on all political sides and Scottish elections next year..I think uk soft power will erode, the trade deals created are a fraction of what we had…the country will be a different place and a sad outlier in geographical Europe.
I hope I’m wrong but this govt couldn’t manage its way out of a wet paper bag, so I’m not too optimistic they’ll manage this well.
The debate is over for a generation and boundary changes mean the tories are likely to keep being the govt. Can’t a major party, for example the Labour Party, come out and support PR because otherwise we’re seemingly doomed to the bunch of rich selfish ideologues we’ve got at the moment.
How is brexit going to benefit Lichfield and Burntwood Mr Fabricant, what is going to change for people here because we’ve left the EU?
Just to add my support to Lichfield Live, you’ve been brilliant these past few months.
Where else can you actively engage with Councillors and your MP (though ours chooses to ignore most things).
It’s impartial and a great local service – thank you.
Good rebuttal of Fabricant’s “alternative facts” using trusted sources. One thing is that Fabricant completely fails to mention is that the Brexit deal is not going to fill the void of empty shops, do nothing for Lichfield’s “vibrant nightlife” with pubs, restaurants and hotels shut for the foreseeable future and many of his constituents facing long term hardship due to unemployment. Funny that…
Just to clarify, mine wasn’t a criticism of LL, but of Fabricant, who has shown himself quick to block people on social media and suchlike when he is the target.
Darryl – “It’s unlikely Lichfield Live will take such a step, lest Fabricant strops off because his diatribes aren’t printed verbatim, so here’s my take on each of his points.”
Seems quite critical of this website, even if its role is very different to that you seem to want.
The MP’s use of social media should be contrasted with his own website and “blog”, together with his articles and interviews for national outlets. On social media he is a clown without a care in the world as he knows most of his voters pay no attention to Twitter. His use if Facebook is also noticeably different as his voters ard more likely to be found there. His vast majority of voters and supporters only read his more considered articles and interviews so have little knowledge or care about what he does on Twitter.
Hopefully more of them are reading this website these days as the only daily local news provider. So perhaps we should treat them to regular examples of his twittering in the comments section?
For the record, I applaud your original comment Darryl. It is that type of reasoned argument and informed challenge that will get you blocked by the MP on social media and accusations of trolling too no doubt :-)
Well written comments such as those made by Darryl should be run as an edited headlined op-ed … and given equal prominence to Mr Fabricant’s views.
Darryl, a good fact based take down of Fabricants Rose tinted b******s. He also fails to mention the considerable loss of EU investment money in projects locally. But hey, we can still go on holiday with more restrictions what a victory!!!
So, Mr Fabricant, you say the Brexit Deal will deliver on the promises made to the British people. And yet, I seem to recall you standing in Lichfield Cathedral promising me that I would not lose my freedom of movement because we would automatically remain members of the EEA after Brexit. Just one of your many blatant lies. UK citizens will now find themselves reduced to third class citizens in both the EU and the EFTA-EEA countries. It doesn’t matter how you try to dress it up, we have lost rights that we had as EU citizens to live, work, study and train in 27 other countries and new restrictions and red tape will now apply. This will put us at a disadvantage when competing for work or university places. We will no longer have ‘freedom of establishment’ allowing us to set up in business in the EU. This country’s young people have been stripped of the kind of opportunities I enjoyed when I lived in other European countries.
Meanwhile, many like myself who have benefited from cross border opportunities with Europe will find their livelihoods decimated by Brexit. Rather than being offered any kind of apology or compensation we are expected to put up and shut up as our jobs and businesses are ‘a price worth paying’ for Brexit.
And perhaps that is what it really comes down to: “put up and shut up”. Dissenting views and debate are a fundamental part of democracy. Phil’s assertion that it is “futile to continue the debate” is anti-democratic. Thank God there were dissenters in 1930’s Germany who dared to stand up to Hitler’s hatred and lies at a time when the Nazis held all the power and set the agenda. Many of them died for daring to continue the debate. Brexit has also been based on hatred and lies and I, for one, will continue to challenge this. I will continue to argue that immigrants are welcome in my country and I will continue to expose the lies that Brexiteers have told about the EU. I hope many others will too. Anyone who doubts that they have been lied to should read Article 289 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and ask themselves why right-wing media and MPs have insisted that ‘unelected bureaucrats’ run the EU when decisions are actually made democratically by the Council and the European Parliament. How ironic that the UK, a country that boasts an unelected second chamber, should call the EU undemocratic!
Darryl does an excellent job of countering Fabricant’s lies with facts. I would add that Mr Fabricant is also economical with the truth with regard to developing countries. I have yet to hear him admit that there is such a thing as the special EU trading arrangements for the ‘ACP’ (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. The EU does indeed give preferential treatment to poorer countries, something which has been much promoted by the French in relation to their own former colonies. Mr Fabricant also gives the impression that the EU prevents member states from applying higher standards in agriculture, including in animal welfare. As I have both worked in agriculture at the Commission and lobbied for organic farming in the EU, I am well aware that countries are able to apply higher standards than the minimum laid down by the EU. If this were not the case, the Soil Association would not be able to require higher standards of its organic farmers.
Brexit delivers on one promise: the Establishment has taken back control. This will not end with Brexit. Our human rights are under threat; our promises on foreign aid have already been broken; our membership of and support for other international organisations is also being called into question, including, for example, by Michael Fabricant with his attacks on the World Health Organisation.
The future is not all about the ‘will of the people’ on one day in 2016 after years of anti-EU propaganda and lies. The future will be about what the younger generation make of it and, as they have so much to lose under this Brexit deal, the future may end up looking very different to anything Mr Fabricant and his government envisage. Indeed, Mr Fabricant’s lie about us staying members of the EEA may well come back to haunt him. The democratic debate certainly is not over.
Thank you all for highlighting the distortions and blatant lack of truth in Mr Fabricant’s (or should we say Conservative Central’s) points, which I received in an email reply to a message I sent to him. Clearly copying and pasting is easier than thinking for oneself, but it took me less than an hour to rebut every one of his points.
Just to take one example, live animal export:
Live animal export – according to the chair of the European Parliament’s newly formed Inquiry Committee on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT), “the decision to limit the export of live animals lies with member states, or in some cases, regions”. (https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/uk-moves-to-ban-live-exports-of-animals-but-eu-ban-far-off-says-mep/ ) This decision could have been made as a member of the EU, as it appears to have been by other EU member nations. We did not need to go through four and a half years of incompetent bungling to achieve this.
The Brexit campaign back in 2016 was based on emotional arguments concerning immigration, taking back control and sovereignty. Unfortunately the Remain group did not tap into the emotions and relied on factual evidence justifying the basis of membership. Consequently, many voted not realising nor understanding what they were voting for. I know many people who voted Leave who are now wishing they voted the other way as they did not understand the ramifications of leaving the EU at the time.
Now we are short of employees in many sectors because non-British workers have left the UK as they felt unwanted. Who staffed the NHS? Who picked the fruit & veg at our farms? The new points-based system for immigration cuts out the people who used to fill the lower-paid jobs.
More bureaucracy for businesses exporting to the EU! Great!
Our young people will be the ones to lose out. They will find it more difficult to study and work in the EU.
Holidaymakers will have a surprise when they have to join the long queue at immigration when go to Spain. Needing car insurance green cards and extra medical insurance is another throwback to pre-EU days. Progress? I don’t think so Mr Fabricant.
Dear @Clare Scholl, it won’t be long until non- hedge fund owning-millionaire types who’ve lost their job start moaning about brexit. You know, the ones who live amongst us, want a nice white, British, safe world where Britannia Rules etc…pfffft. Still they think brexit is good thing…Sovereign fish for sovereign people. That’ll help Lichfield & Burntwood for sure 🙄
It’s done, Brexit, let them own it and devour themselves…it’s the least they deserve. Let them moan amongst each other till the cows come home and in the meantime, hope something like a decent opposition does its job or a new future party emerges rather than labour from 100 years ago…can it really stay relevant?
Everyone else – wake up to the reality of this pointless and futile future. Which it certainly is.
I don’t recall ever having a say on who represented me in the E.U. parliament. I have an M.P. (who I did not vote for) who supports a capitalistic agenda, especially towards their builder paymasters,
regardless on local consequences. I see my city being systematically destroyed by vested interests and the support of a much maligned local administration. High principles are no bad thing and I applaud all those who espouse their views and opinions. Just don’t mistake that for democracy. It is only a word. It does not imply or provide society justice.
@Philip: You had every right to vote in elections to the European Parliament, as did EU citizens across Europe. These elections had low turnouts, no doubt partly as many Brits were not even aware that they could vote for their MEP(s). People in the UK have too often been kept in the dark about their rights in relation to the EU and now the likes of Mr Fabricant wish to keep us in the dark as to what we are actually losing by leaving with a Hard Brexit deal. Scrutiny is as important now as ever.
Having read Darryl, The Scribbler, Clare Scholl’s comments, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that the brexit ‘debate’ in Lichfield IS one-sided. Mr Fabricant continues to ‘reign’ like an 18th Century landowner and we are expected to stand in Market Sq and bow/scrape as his Conservative entourage sweep by!
Sorry Michael, brexit will finish you.
Right, that’s it, Brexit done and dusted. Now can we please have a Tory candidate at the next election that is not an idiotic self promoting cartoon character? Someone that’s interested in the community they represent, someone that has an ounce of empathy for those that for whatever reason are struggling, well just anyone other than him please.
I’m not going to sugar coat it. The most gullible of the peasantry got conned by a bunch of freeloading offshore tax haven users, who financed their mouthpieces like Johnson, Farage and Banks to spout some vacuous nationalistic slogans. This isn’t taking back control. It’s surrendering it to the tax haven users which the EU intended to shut down.