Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The Rt Hon David Jones MP, excerpts from keynote address, Fri 10 Mar 2023

1. Introduction

“We are now almost seven years since that historic referendum, when the people of this country took the step that they were told not to take, that we were told they never would take, and that is to decide to leave the European Union.

“Speaking personally I can say that that was the proudest political moment of my life and I was immensely proud of the people of this country who decided that despite what they were told about the perils of Brexit, that's what they wanted anyway.”

2. Brexit benefits

“I feel that that pandemic actually showed what this country can do as an independent rather than as part of the monolithic, sclerotic bloc that is the European Union.”

“We developed a vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, in double quick time. We were the first to roll out a programme of vaccination.”

“I think that the pandemic, paradoxically painful as it was, actually showed what we can do as an independent country.”

3. Ukraine and Putin’s aggression

“It was the United Kingdom that led the world in galvanising opposition to Vladimir Putin's aggression, to putting in place arrangements to help the Ukrainian people in their struggle. And I know from discussions that I've had with Ukrainian friends that the role that the United Kingdom played and continues to play as part of that process is immensely welcome to the brave people of that country.”

4. Trade – more Brexit benefits

“And in terms of trade, we have seen what we again what we can do as an independent country, new free trade agreements with New Zealand with Japan and with Australia, negotiations continuing at the moment with India and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and most exciting of all, the prospect of acceding to the CPTPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a dynamic organisation of some of the most exciting economic countries in the world that …shows… that you don't have to subsume your country to an unelected bureaucracy overseas.”

5. Defence – more Brexit benefits

“And again, we have seen Britain re-emerging as a potent military power. We saw that carrier group going through the Taiwan Straits. We saw the immense scoop of AUKUS, whereby the Australians decided, quite properly [to ditch] a deal that they had with France for the supply of submarines and entered into a £76 billion plus contract with the UK for the design of a new nuclear submarine fleet.

"So everything I'm telling you now, I believe is an indication of why we were right to vote to leave the European Union, but if you were to listen to the unelected self-appointed elite of this country, one might think that Brexit had been nothing but an unmitigated disaster.”

6. On Facts4EU and CIBUK

“And that's why… the work of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, the work for Facts4EU, the work for all your Affiliates is so absolutely crucial.

“The work you do is outstanding. You've had scoop after scoop after scoop recently actually giving them to the people of this country and anyone else who cares to read your excellent websites, pointing out that the UK is doing pretty well. Thank you and there is more to do.”

7. Tax

“It was an unfortunate mis-step on the part of the Chancellor when he decided to increase the corporation tax rate from 19% to 25% with the consequence that important companies such as AstraZeneca, a British company, have decided not to build their new factory in the UK, but rather to look to Ireland, where the corporation tax rate is considerably lower.”

8. On immigration

“The Prime Minister was of course in in France today. He's apparently done a deal with Macron whereby we pay, I think, £480 million over the next three years. We're going to be constructing a detention centre in France and the patrols on the beach rather are going to be significantly boosted. I certainly hope that that is effective. It hasn't been entirely effective in the past. We are already spending several tens of millions of pounds on paying the French to patrol the beaches.

“…migrants [need] to understand that if they make the crossing, they will not be remaining in the UK, they're [sent] home or sent to a safe third country for processing.”

9. The ECHR

“The problem of course that we have is the European Court of Human Rights. In fact, you'll recall that a flight to Rwanda was due to take off last year and it was stopped at the last moment when a European Court judge made a so-called Article 39 order, which is effectively a temporary injunction, preventing the flight taking place.”

“I think that the government has got to give consideration, therefore, to disapply the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in cases where the issues that we're discussing now fail to be considered by the courts.”

10. President Macron and the French

“I'm finding it hard not to come to the conclusion that the reason that [the French] are not being helpful is because they want to punish the UK for having had the temerity to leave the European Union.”