UK/EU Trade Deal Agreed

Boris Johnson Press Conference

Prime Minister Boris Johnson led a press conference this afternoon following the announcement that a post-Brexit trade deal being agreed with the EU.

 He emphasised that this deal above all means certainty for business.

 Concluding his speech the Prime Minister said, “At the end of this toughest of years our focus is on defeating the pandemic… and rebuilding our economy and I am utterly confident that we can and will do it. But it is up to us all together as a newly and truly independent nation to realise the immensity of this moment and make the most of it.”

Asked about services, the Prime Minister said that the service sector does feature in the deal with “good language about equivalence for financial services”. “Not as much as we would have liked… but it is going to allow our dynamic City of London to prosper as never before.” He added that lawyers will be able to practice around the EU.

Number 10 Statement

Earlier the Prime Minister’s Office released the following statement:

 “Everything that the British public was promised during the 2016 referendum and in the general election last year is delivered by this deal.”

 “The deal is the biggest bilateral trade deal signed by either side, covering trade worth £668bn in 2019.

 “The deal also guarantees that we are no longer in the lunar pull of the EU, we are not bound by EU rules, there is no role for the European Court of Justice and all of our key red lines about returning sovereignty have been achieved.

 “It means that we will have full political and economic independence on 1st January 2021.”

 The full statement can be read here:

 EU Press Conference

 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen led the European Union’s press conference following the announcement of the agreement with the United Kingdom. She was joined by the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

 Mrs Von der Leyen said that competition rules “will be fair and remain so”, promising EU rules and standards “will be respected”. She added that “effective tools” have been agreed to “react if fair competition is distorted”.

The UK and EU will “continue cooperating in all areas of mutual interest”, she adds, such as climate change, energy, security, and transport. She also confirmed that five and a half years of “full predictability for fishing communities” has been agreed.

The deal will now be put to the European Council, bringing together the 27 governments of the bloc, and the European Parliament.