UK/EU Future Economic Partnership

Chris Leslie Excerpts

Monday 5th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I was pleased to speak to Chancellor Merkel yesterday to congratulate her on the formation of her Government. I look forward to the negotiations we will be having with Germany and the other members of the European Union. She and others have all been clear that, as we look to the future relationship, we must recognise that the models that already exist do not meet the requirements of the United Kingdom.

[Mr Chris Leslie (Nottingham East) (Lab/Co-op)]

The Prime Minister has been forced to admit that market access will be less. She wants to be straight with the public. This time last year, she promised that we would have

“the same benefits in terms of that free access to trade.”

Does she regret that?

[The Prime Minister]

We are setting out on negotiating a free trade deal that will ensure that, for goods, we continue to have tariff-free and as frictionless as possible trade across borders. We have also set out our ambition for financial services, digital services, broadcasting and a whole range of other areas. We will be achieving the benefits of the trade with the European Union in some cases in different ways, but that does not mean that we are not going to have the benefits of a good trading relationship with the European Union in future.