British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has hailed a new “close and friendly” era in post-Brexit European Union-UK relations but admitted issues such as migration, security and defence could still prove problematic.
“We have to recognise that we will not agree on everything. But in mature relationships, we can deal with differences,” he told the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly in Brussels on July 3.
Speaking as the first UK Foreign Secretary to address the assembly, Cleverly said: “We are here amongst friends. It has always been obvious to me that close and friendly cooperation between the UK and the EU would be the ultimate and eventual outcome of Brexit, because that is the sensible and pragmatic outcome and we are all sensible and pragmatic people.
“Though it did take slightly longer to get here than many of us would have liked. But, we have seen real progress and I’m committed to maintaining that positive trajectory.”
Cleverly’s comments followed those of the European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who told the assembly that while discussion around the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement offered “significant potential” to further improve the partnership, “it is not – and can never be – a replacement for EU membership”.
“Trade can no longer be as frictionless and dynamic as before. We must accept this reality,” he added.
Returning to a common EU theme in often-testy Brexit talks, Šefčovič also warned: “While the UK of course has the possibility to further diverge from the EU, that may bring even more cost and would further deepen the barriers to trade.”
However, trade figures announced in the past few days show UK to EU exports at record levels, with the bloc receiving 42 per cent of all UK exports in 2022, worth £340 billion, up from £247 billion in 2016.
Speaking in the UK Parliament, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business and Trade Kevin Hollinrake said total UK exports stood at £815bn in 2022, up 21 per cent on pre-pandemic levels.
“There is no doubt that UK exports are excelling and will continue to do so,” he added.
The announcement was welcomed by arch-Brexiteer and Conservative MP Philip Hollobone.
“Project Fear told us that if we left the EU, millions of people would lose their jobs, our exports would collapse, and the economy would go into freefall,” he remarked.
The term “Project Fear” became a catch-all phrase relating to the UK Brexit referendum and predictions of potential economic and social disaster made by those against leaving the EU.
Hollobone added: “Here in 2023, with us outside the European Union, employment is at record highs and unemployment at record lows, the Eurozone is in recession and we are not, and our exports to the EU are at record levels. Is it not now demonstrably true that we are always going to be better off out?”
